Well done Justin Lester

The Dom Post reports:

Wellington Mayor Justin Lester is looking to trim his council’s spending by $8 million so his expensive election campaign promises can go ahead without a massive rates hike.

Lester announced on Wednesday that Wellington City Council would be undertaking a thorough review of council spending in order to find a minimum of $8m in ratepayer savings during the 2017-18 financial year.

He has tasked council chief executive Kevin Lavery with leading the review, and said part of that would be identifying spending that was now a lower priority in the short-term.

The $8m saving is needed if the council is to fund Lester’s key projects while also keeping Wellington’s annual rates rises below the 3.9 per cent average forecast over the next 10 years.

Very pleased to see the new Mayor wanting to cut lower priority spending and recognising that ratepayers can’t afford rates increases of the level we have had.

Justin Lester said in response to a Kiwiblog survey he would not vote for an average annual rates increase of more than 3%. It looks like he means to stick to that, which is good.