Waipā District Council has confirmed an average 2.4 per cent rates rise for the 2020-2021 year.
Council’s Annual Plan for 2020-2021 includes $97.82 million in operating expenditure, $186.61 million for capital expenditure, and $124.38 million for revenue. External debt sits at $185.5 million.
Council originally went out for public consultation on its Draft Annual Plan 2020-2021 on 23 March 2020, the same day New Zealand entered into Alert Level 3 and two days before the country moved into Alert Level 4 lockdown.
The Draft Annual Plan had a proposed average annual rates increase of 4.2%, which was immediately reworked in direct response to COVID-19. All operational expenditure, capital expenditure and revenue was reviewed to provide some short-term rates relief, whilst balancing that with activities to aid economic recovery for the district.
Waipā Mayor Jim Mylchreest said it is pleasing to have made savings without impacting on the services provided to the community, and Council has avoided stripping away or pushing back on much needed projects that replace ageing infrastructure and provide for growth.
How will your rates be spent in 2020-2021?
The total rates to be collected from the district next year will be $57,052,778.
The chart below outlines where your rates will be spent in 2020/21 by showing the proportion allocation to each of the Council’s activity groups.