Auckland Rates Meeting Wed 10 June
Received this release:
Auckland residents Ray Calver and Dick Cuthbert are part of a group of concerned ratepayers organising the Auckland Rates Increases Public Meeting to be held June 10. “There is widespread anger at the imposition of an average 9.9% rates increases across Auckland. It particularly hurts those in poorer parts of Auckland where residents of Mangere face increases of 16.9%.”
Mr. Calver says “The purpose of this meeting is to give Aucklanders an opportunity to voice their opposition to the increases and also to plan how they would like to make this opposition known.
The meeting will be addressed by several speakers who have a variety of ideas on how ratepayers can take a stand against the Council’s rates plan.”
The meeting will be held at Mt. Eden War Memorial Hall 487 Dominion Rd on Wednesday June 10 commencing from 7:30pm. Confirmed speakers are
- Stephen Berry – Affordable Auckland Mayoral candidate
- Cameron Brewer – Orakei Councillor
- Penny Bright – Mayoral candidate
- Jo Holmes – Auckland Ratepayer’s Alliance
- Damien Light – United Future
- Bill Raynor – Grey Power
- David Seymour – Act Epsom MP
“Following speeches, there will be time put aside for people to ask questions of the speakers and also voice their concerns about the rates increases. The meeting organisers and I look forward to hearing how those who have attended wish to proceed.”
I’d encourage people to go along. If the 15 Councillors who voted for a 9.9% rates increase get away with it, then I have no doubt future increases will continue to be at such a high level.
If on the other hand, 18 months of pressure leads to those 15 Councillors being sacked, it will be a great message to both the Auckland Council and all other councils, that ratepayers are not an endless source of funds, and there are consequences to being unable to rein in spending.