New Plymouth District Council
Rates and revenue
The work of local government is funded mainly by property taxes in the local area, known as rates. This makes up around 60% of council expenditure, with the rest coming from user charges, investment income, regulatory fees and roading subsidies. Councils can also borrow money to spread the cost of large investments such as infrastructure over a longer period of time.
Rates and revenue
The work of local government is funded mainly by property taxes in the local area, known as rates. This makes up around 60% of council expenditure, with the rest coming from user charges, investment income, regulatory fees and roading subsidies. Councils can also borrow money to spread the cost of large investments such as infrastructure over a longer period of time.
Keep rate rises to a bare minimum while acknowledging that putting off vital infrastructure work will increase costs for future ratepayers.
Rise more revenue rather than cut services.
Manage council debt responsibly and maintain the PIF for current and future generations, not for short-term fixes.
Increase lobbying to central government to retain GST on rates.
Be smart about alternatives to increasing rates including ensuring the perpetual investment fund continues to build high returns.
Ensure that any spending achieves value for money, making sure that investments benefit all people rather than a select few.
Set rates and long-term plans at a level that ensures intergenerational equity, balancing needs now and into the future.
Enforce regular auditing of council sub-processes and their financial management, including contractors.
Explore means of paying off council debt by introducing more community businesses and initiating a power and gas co-op.
Maintain council investments such as property, buildings, parks, reserves and monetary investments, eg PIF fund.
Consider providing some services less regularly or differently, such as kerbside recycling pick-up less regularly and glass recycling depot.
Limit new projects with significant ongoing expenditure and be extremely selective, backed by hard facts and good analysis.
Lobby central government to return GST on rates to fund growth of core infrastructure.
Keep rate rises to a bare minimum while acknowledging that putting off vital infrastructure work will increase costs for future ratepayers.
Rise more revenue rather than cut services.
Manage council debt responsibly and maintain the PIF for current and future generations, not for short-term fixes.
Increase lobbying to central government to retain GST on rates.
Be smart about alternatives to increasing rates including ensuring the perpetual investment fund continues to build high returns.
Ensure that any spending achieves value for money, making sure that investments benefit all people rather than a select few.
Set rates and long-term plans at a level that ensures intergenerational equity, balancing needs now and into the future.
Enforce regular auditing of council sub-processes and their financial management, including contractors.
Explore means of paying off council debt by introducing more community businesses and initiating a power and gas co-op.
Maintain council investments such as property, buildings, parks, reserves and monetary investments, eg PIF fund.
Consider providing some services less regularly or differently, such as kerbside recycling pick-up less regularly and glass recycling depot.
Limit new projects with significant ongoing expenditure and be extremely selective, backed by hard facts and good analysis.
Lobby central government to return GST on rates to fund growth of core infrastructure.
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