Have your say on how halls are funded
1 August 2017
Waipa District Council wants feedback on how best to fund rural halls.
Across the district 18 rural halls are funded by some, but not all, rural ratepayers. The amount of funding received depends on how much each independent hall committee decides it needs, and how many houses are within the hall zone.
But Mayor Jim Mylchreest said this arrangement meant some halls were missing out.
On top of the 18 funded halls, there are a further nine that do not receive any funding at all, but would like to. It's an anomaly in the system that doesn't seem fair. We want to see all of our rural halls be well maintained for the community to enjoy for years to come.
Council wants feedback on two options; either stick with the status quo or distribute money among all rural halls plus introduce a contestable fund for major maintenance projects.
It's about being fair. Not all of our halls and their attached communities are in a position to maintain their halls and cover the cost of major maintenance projects. We don't think this is quite right and nor does it allow council and community assets to be protected.
Changing the way halls are rated for would impact only on rural ratepayers. Currently rural ratepayers who contribute to a hall pay between $13-$43 each year depending on where they live and what hall they're contributing to. The proposal suggests all rural ratepayers pay a set amount of around $20 per dwelling as part of their rates bill.
Mayor Mylchreest said the proposal was in the very early stages of consultation.
We particularly want to hear from the community and the hall committees about which option they prefer. Once we've reviewed their feedback we'll formally go to the community with our preferred option and final figures for everyone to comment on as part of our 2018-28 10-Year Plan.
Feedback on the initial proposals is open from 1 August to 1 September 2017. Visit www.waipadc.govt.nz/haveyoursay to have your say or pick up a feedback form from Council offices.
For more information, contact: Nicole Nooyen 027 807 3478