Palino pledges 10% rates decrease

John Palino has announced:

I am announcing that I will be standing for Auckland Mayor this year!

I am putting my name forward because I believe that Auckland has not realised its potential. Auckland has the potential to be a great city, but the Super City has not delivered for ratepayers.

Our rates have gone up massively.

Our council debt has gone up massively.

Our services are not as good as they were under our old council.

Today I am announcing my commitment to Auckland. As Mayor I will reduce your rates by 10% across my first term.

I have engaged Larry Mitchell, one of New Zealand’s foremost Local Government financial experts to prepare an alternative budget.

This budget, which I will be releasing later in the campaign, will deliver on the promises of cost savings and efficiencies we were promised when the Super City formed.

Every ratepayer knows their services have reduced and their rates have increased.

We have not received the benefits of the Super City. Auckland Council has wasted money on non core spending, treating ratepayers like an unlimited ATM that they can take as much money as they like from.

That is why I believe we can cut rates by 10% over the next three years. This is the first step to returning Aucklanders’ rates to realistic levels.

Over the next few weeks I will be launching sensible policies and pragmatic policies that will protect Auckland ratepayers from a council that has taken far too much of their hard-earned money.

Great to see a candidate make a firm pledge on reducing rates, especially after the Terrible Ten voted for a 9.9% rates increase this year.

This puts the acid on other candidates to make specific commitments to voters. Phil Goff seems to only be talking about increasing rates further. What will Victoria Crone, Stephen Berry and Mark Thomas put forward as policies or pledges on rates?

In theory the Mayor has only one vote on Council but they get to propose the budget for the Council, and this pledge means Palino as Mayor would put forward a budget that reduces rates over three years by 10%.

I look forward to seeing detailed policies from him as to how he will achieve this, and from other candidates.