2012-09-27 - Te Awamutu Online

2 TE AWAMUTU COURIER, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2012
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Do you suffer from?
RESTLESS
SLEEP
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Council decisions ‘exacerbated’ rates problem
Mr Finn, thanks for the
lecture. This is only the third
time we’ve had it.
Granted the biggest portion
of the rates increase results
from the revaluation of property,
this is beyond Council’s
control. Acknowledged.
Mr Finn I have spoken to a
several thousand people during
the last month, the following
points come through loud and
clear.
The Council has exacerbated
YOUR BED
OVER 12
YEARS OLD
NO
SUPPORT
THE BEST EVER
IN STORE
DEALS
ONE
NIGHT
ONLY
the rates problem by adding an
extra $76 on Te Awamutu rates
to cover the Museum and
Events Centre and in the same
year cancelled the 5 percent
discount (for prompt payment)
This year’s rates are the
‘straw that broke the camel’s
back’. Then the Council wastes
huge amounts of our money on
a Velodrome and Cambridge
Pool against the public’s
wishes.
Wake up and listen? You are
Claims contradictory
To say that the council does
not listen and then to criticise the
removal of the 5 percent discount
is a contradiction.
Council removed the discount,
following a submission from a
member of the public closely
aligned to the Waipa Citizens and
Ratepayers Association, as we
recognised people on lower
incomes were subsidising those
who could actually afford to pay
their rates in an up-front single
lump sum. Those who paid their
rates by instalment were
subsidising 25 percent of ratepayers
to the tune of $309,000.
This equated to a 0.8 percent
rates reduction in the amount of
revenue we would have otherwise
needed to collect across the district.
It was about being fair and
equitable.
The letter writer quotes budget
and debt increase percentages
published in a June Waikato
Times article. Council does not
believe these figures are fairly
presented and they do not recognise
that Waipa is actually
starting from a good position, as
supported by other comparative
data, which in effect exaggerates
the increases.
We consulted the community
on all of the projects we intend to
carry out as part of the 10 Year
Plan process, the majority of
which are infrastructure and
compliance requirements. We listened
to the submitters and then
made decisions we believed were
in the best interest of the community
both for today and into
the future.
In 2011/12 the average rates
cost per rateable property was
$6.31 per day. For that we provided
a host of activities. Any
significant rates reduction would
likely affect these levels of service
and the community would be
faced with making some hard
decisions on what they are willing
to sacrifice.
Waipa residents have been
consistent in telling the council
they want high levels of service.
This is what I believe contributed
to 94 percent of residents
reporting in the annual NRB
survey that they would recommend
Waipa as a great place to
live.
DENNIS FINN
Waipa District Councillor
TONIGHT!!
Why choose homeward for your new bed?
1. You get a 30 day sleep guarantee. If within 30 days of purchasing your new Sealy
bed you feel it’s not the right choice homeward will exchange it
2. Our job is to ensure you have the right bed for you, offering you correct support
and the right degree of comfort
3. We guarantee you the best value and price
4. We stock only Sealy Posturepedic the world’s number 1 selling bed
our representatives. You are
not listening.
We put in submissions and
you still won’t listen.
We want money to be spent
frugally, why not consult us on
any non-essential projects?
In the next 10 years Waipa
will have greater debt increase
than any other Council in the
Waikato (91 percent) and our
operating budget has increased
more than any other Council in
Waikato (52 percent). I repeat,
homeward. Te Awamutu
400 Arawata Street
ph: 871 6269
www.homeward.co.nz
open 7 days
we are in a recession looking
down the barrel of a depression.
Infrastructure only during a
recession makes a huge amount
of sense.
You call Waipa’s planned
expenses as ‘moving ahead
gradually’.
Mr Finn you scare me. You
purport to represent the people.
You accept you can do better.
Time to put your money
where your mouth is.
ROBIN DUNCAN
Concern has always
been residents’ welfare
It must hard for many residents
to make head or tail of
what the issues over the rates
are as there seems to be so
many different versions.
I have concerns with some
of the statements made by Pat
Bishop in Tuesday’s paper —
‘‘the fiasco councillors made of
fixing the 2012/13 rates’’.
My personal recollections is
that at that meeting it was
decided to try and achieve a
better balance in rating levies
and not so many crossover
charges from one ward to
another.
The increases we voted on
was just over $62 in Cambridge
and just over $65 in Te Awamutu
with a district average of
4.1-4.2 percent which seemed
fair under the circumstances.
When the flyer came out
circulated to all homes the
figures in that were the same
ones we saw in March, I
debated several times on the
imbalance between Te Awamutu
and Cambridge at meet-
If so, then you need to join us tonight at
6.30pm at homeward Te Awamutu and
discover the 5 major causes of poor sleep
and what to do about them.
Listen to the experts from Sealy and learn
what a new, quality bed will do for your
health and wellbeing.
Our sleep seminar in conjunction with
Sealy Posturepedic, the world’s number
one selling bed will help you to understand
the support and comfort you should expect
from a top quality bed.
Attend our sleep seminar and take
advantage of one-off amazing deals on any
new Sealy Posturepedic bed.
Those attending will have the opportunity to
SAVE UP 50%
TO
on normal retail
ings also wanting the rates
indicators to go out 10 years.
It was not until the rate
accounts were sent out did we
know the total impact. Other
local councillors rang me
expressing real concerns, to
their credit the Council rating
staff called a special meeting
with local Councillors in
which a frank discussion took
place.
After that a notice of notion
on behalf of Hazel Barnes and
me was put to the August 7
Finance meeting ‘to initiate a
review’ on rates, it was passed
and amended at the August 28
Council meeting to ‘the merits
or otherwise’ and to present a
report to the October 9 Strategic
Planning meeting.
This is not about attributing
blame but hopefully to get a
fairer more equitable rating
system for Waipa residents.
My concern has always
been their wellbeing.
VERN WILSON
Waipa District Councillor
RSVP to homeward 078716269
or mark@homeward.co.nz
Visit our website
www.homeward.co.nz
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