May 7, 2015 2:00pm by David Farrar

Auckland Council votes for a 9.9% rates increase!

The Herald reports:

Auckland councillors have voted 15-7 for a 9.9 per cent rates increase for households from July.

Earlier, the Council released the full details of rates rises, showing the overall rates rise for households is 9.9 per cent.

Overall rates will rise by 6.9 per cent, but because of valuations and a move to lower business rates the effect on households is higher.

This is a fiscally incontinent Council that must be sacked. The 15 who voted for a 9.95 increase should be targeted for removal at the next election.

The details show the impact of a flat targeted rate to top up spending on transport will hit the poorest suburbs in Auckland hard.

And from a Council controlled by the left.

Here’s the increase by suburb, in order from biggest to smallest:

Mangere-Otahuhu 16.9%
Kaipatiki 16.1%
Whau 15.7%
Albert-Eden 14.9%
Maungakiekie-Tamaki 14.9%
Puketepapa 14.5%
Otara-Papatoetoe 12.2%
Henderson-Massey 11.6%
Howick 9.9%
Upper Harbour 9.9%
Manurewa 9.5%
Orakei 8.5%
Devonport-Takapuna 7.9%
Waitemata 7.7%
Hibiscus and Bays 6.3%
Waitakere Ranges 5.4%
Franklin 4.4%
Papakura 3.3%
Rodney -1.4%
Waiheke -2.8%
Great Barrier -13%

So Mangere and Otahuhu up 17%, Otara up 12%. And this comes from the people who cry about struggling families and poverty. This is a Council chaired by a Labour Party member, that has just hit the poorest residents with a 17% rates increase.

Shameful.

UPDATE: The guilty Councillors are: