District Council gold diggers...

**firecracker** · 11th March 2009, 15:52

If property values are on the decrease then why are my rates increasing??

Would it not be an ideal context for government to make a difference at grass roots level?

Reducing rates to reflect the current market place while putting a wee bit more moolah for the boojah in our pockets to spread around?

I need some enlightenment

**Stirts** · 11th March 2009, 16:00

Originally Posted by firecracker

If property values are on the decrease then why are my rates increasing??

Would it not be an ideal context for government to make a difference at grass roots level?

Reducing rates to reflect the current market place while putting a wee bit more moolah for the boojah in our pockets to spread around?

I need some enlightenment

Silly Sausage....that would mean they possess a little attribute called common sense.

**Skyryder** · 11th March 2009, 16:06

Originally Posted by firecracker

If property values are on the decrease then why are my rates increasing??

Because Rodney Hide the Minister of Local Government believes that the user should pay. And I am not taking the piss here. Local councils can now basicly go for commercial charge outs knowing that Hide has no credibility to try and reign them in.

Skyryder

**Nasty** · 11th March 2009, 16:08

Go to the council website and find out the process to have yhour property reviewed and revalued for your rates to be reviewed ... although this is two edged ... as when the market turns you will want it back where it is.

**Mom** · 11th March 2009, 16:16

Originally Posted by firecracker

If property values are on the decrease then why are my rates increasing??

Would it not be an ideal context for government to make a difference at grass roots level?

Reducing rates to reflect the current market place while putting a wee bit more moolah for the boojah in our pockets to spread around?

I need some enlightenment

Rates are struck on the last available official valuation, very little you can do about this current financial years rates. You can challenge the current valuation at the time it is done. I am not sure any council is going to agree to reduce your rates until the next round of valuations are done. Go to http://www.qv.co.nz/ and check out what is happening with values officially.

Let us know if you do manage to convince council to reduce rates.

**Swoop** · 11th March 2009, 18:46

The local councils are still having to pay for all of the idiotic laws that the Looney Labour Party forced upon them over the last 9-year "ice age" of government.

**trustme** · 11th March 2009, 19:08

Their income is plummeting due to the collapse of the building industry, They have to replace that income from somewhere & you are it sucker.
Does it occur to them to cut costs, Yeah Right

I remember when Phil Goff suggested streamlining the the building permit process to reduce costs which was a bloody good idea. The councils snivelled that they would have to increase rates to to maintain income. It nevers occurs to them that they are a service not a business, time to get rid of a few pen pushers in my opinion

**MadDuck** · 11th March 2009, 19:12

Originally Posted by trustme

Their income is plummeting due to the collapse of the building industry

I may be wrong here (I often am) but their income related to the building industry hasnt gone down just yet. It just means that the builders are getting consents within 3 weeks instead of 6 months.

I also understand that RDCC have made some staff cuts.

**Hitcher** · 11th March 2009, 19:21

Sigh...

Property values, as determined by Quotable Value, are variously applied by different local authorities as a basis of allocating council costs against property owners. It's worth making the point here that there is no such thing as a Government Valuation. Those haven't existed for nigh on 30 years. Property values are (or should be) known as Rateable Values (RV).

Councils total the rateable value (either land value or capital value, depending on a council's preference) of all of the properties in their area and then divide their general rate cost by that. They then multiply that quotient by the property/capital value of each rateable property and bill the property owner for the figure that accrues.

Just because the RV of a property rises or falls doesn't mean that the rates owed by its owner will rise or fall, as the value of the property is only one side of the equation, as noted above.

In addition to the general rate, property owners may also pay targeted rates (for such things as flood protection, water supply, waste water, kerbside recycling) and pay for specific services (like volumetric pricing for water), again depending on where they live.

It costs a lot of money for councils to provide the various services that they do. How they recover the costs of those services is subject to a high degree of local politics, as all of the nonsense in and around the Wellington region around "water meters" currently attests. Commonsense is usually the first victim of political compromise.

**MadDuck** · 11th March 2009, 19:27

Understand what you are saying Hitcher.

BUT here we are on tank water - no cost for water services. We pay for our rubbish bags - no collection fees. We have NEVER had an inorganic collection - pay to go to the dump.

So they collect more and more money based on increased rateable values for no increase in service.

Sigh

**Hitcher** · 11th March 2009, 19:29

I forgot to mention that under the provisions of the Local Government Act, no council can rate for services that have not been fully consulted with affected communities.

Every local and regional authority in New Zealand is currently at the start of its next Long-Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) or 10-Year Plan cycle. From about mid-March (Taupo did theirs about Christmas time), local councils will be calling for public submissions on their proposed 10-Year Plans. That is the time that ratepayers should sit on their arses, read and digest the information that their councils will send them, then get off their arses and make submissions if there are things in those proposed plans that the disagree with. In addition to making a written submission, you can also ask to have your submission heard. Verbal submissions (unfortunately) carry more weight with councillors than do written ones, so if you have a strongly held opinion or grievance, you're probably well advised to take a verbal approach.

That's the great thing about a democracy. If you take the time to figure out how it works, you can make in work in your interests.

**Mom** · 11th March 2009, 19:32

Originally Posted by MadDuck

Understand what you are saying Hitcher.

BUT here we are on tank water - no cost for water services. We pay for our rubbish bags - no collection fees. We have NEVER had an inorganic collection - pay to go to the dump.

So they collect more and more money based on increased rateable values for no increase in service.

Sigh

I specially love paying a levy for public transport

We have none!

A few years a ago I used to pay for a bridge that I never even knew existed, when I found it, I never would have ever travelled over it...LOL

**Finn** · 11th March 2009, 19:33

Originally Posted by firecracker

If property values are on the decrease then why are my rates increasing??

Would it not be an ideal context for government to make a difference at grass roots level?

Reducing rates to reflect the current market place while putting a wee bit more moolah for the boojah in our pockets to spread around?

I need some enlightenment

Are you sure you're a woman? You seem to speak logic and common sense which are male traits...

**Ocean1** · 11th March 2009, 19:33

Originally Posted by Hitcher

It costs a lot of money for councils to provide the various services that they do. How they recover the costs of those services is subject to a high degree of local politics...

Pity it's not also subject to some form of commercial constraint.

And while we're on the water thing; Councils are an effective hydraulic despotism. Such have, throughout history been the most enduring and destructive forms of monopoly.

Here's an idea... how about allowing neighbouring councils to tender for the ratepayers at their boundaries. Can't think of any other way to moderate what's otherwise a classic, entrenched cost plus philosophy.

**Finn** · 11th March 2009, 19:35

Originally Posted by Skyryder

Because Rodney Hide the Minister of Local Government believes that the user should pay. And I am not taking the piss here. Local councils can now basicly go for commercial charge outs knowing that Hide has no credibility to try and reign them in.

Skyryder

The councils were fucked long before National were elected you dumb old cow.