Tauranga City Council Rates Cap

Preamble to the petition:

Our rates are too high. The massive rates increases over recent years are unaffordable for most ratepayers. Ratepayers can not afford the current high level of rates, and can definitely not afford the planned future rates increases which are well above inflation. Rates increases are much larger than the increase in income for most ratepayers, which puts residents ratepayers and businesses under increasing financial stress.

The high level of rates has already forced many residents to leave. Further massive rates increases will put increasing pressure on local residents, ratepayers and businesses to sell up and leave.

This situation has been caused by irresponsible council spending and massive waste. We request that council make ratepayer affordability a requirement for all decisions, adopt a 3% rates cap, and adopt responsible financial policies, as outlined in the petition.

Council is currently considering the 2025/26 annual plan. We therefore request that council considers the following petition, and takes active steps to make rates affordable.

For more details refer to https://www.timmaltby.nz/

This petition is open to all ratepayers, residents and business owners within the Tauranga City Council area (include your status below eg ratepayer).

The petition:

We the undersigned petition the Council to:

1. Make ratepayer affordability a requirement for all council decisions.

2. Adopt a 3% cap on rates increases (including growth, water and levies etc) for the 2025/26 annual plan and all following years of the LTP.

3. Adopt a balanced or surplus operating budget.

4. Adopt a debt repayment plan.

5. Perform a deep restructure of the council organisation, and related entities.

6. Perform a deep review of council spending, funding, financing and debt, and revise spending priorities.

7. Stop dodgy developer deals.

8. Fix the procurement and contracting processes.

9. Charge developers the full cost of growth capex.

10. Properly investigate and fix anomalies, and hold staff and elected members accountable.

11. Drastically improve transparency.

12. Hold staff and elected members accountable for compliance with council policies and processes.

Dr Tim Maltby    Contact the author of the petition