Rolled eyes and sighs at rates debate

Armed with walking sticks, newspaper articles and a take-no-crap attitude, members of the Hamilton Residents and Ratepayers Association came to have their say about rate increases, sewerage, 1080 poisoning and climate change.

The last two were surprise entries on the agenda.

The 27-strong group sat, audibly sighed and rolled their eyes as Hamilton Mayor Andrew King delivered his reasons behind the rate increase proposal.

King had to stop many times as members interjected during his compelling 22-minute-and-46-second speech.

Although chairs were not thrown, figurative daggers were.

A new theatre will be built on land – exquisite land, according to King – donated by a private company.

‘‘We’ve got a site up here, which is probably the best site in the city …’’ he said as the crowd rolled their eyes and sighed.

‘‘Can I just finish,’’ the mayor snapped.

‘‘It is owned by a man who is going to donate that land, some of the highest value land – they are going to donate it to Momentum. Anything the council is involved in is going to cost more than what the private sector can do it for.

‘‘We are putting up $30 million instead of $25 million to fix the old one and Momentum are raising the rest of the money and they are well on their way and we are also asking fellow [councils] working through the Mayoral Forum to put $10 million up … so we are looking at a rate through the environment rates to bring us to where we raise $10 million through our neighbours because this is a regional facility.’’

Given the average age of his audience, King addressed the parking issue. He didn’t get far.

A member of the group, sitting in a relaxed position, jerked forward and gripped her walking stick before interjecting, ‘‘What!’’

‘‘Can I finish, please,’’ the mayor snapped back.

‘‘When there is an event on, all the parks around it will be saved and there will be disabled parking, there will be parking for those that struggle, the rest will have to walk the 250 steps.’’

One member who remained silent during King’s speech stunned the room with his observation.

Mark Kilgour, a Waikato University marketing lecturer and one of the youngest people in the room, wanted some facts.

‘‘He’s obviously softening us up for a lower rate rise. It’s typical PR, everything he is saying,’’ Kilgour said.

‘‘I would like to see the figures from the last five years and do a detailed analysis of what he is doing because what he is talking about is very hard to argue [with] unless we’ve got some facts. Having the full data would be useful, because I would be happy to do an analysis of that.’’

Kilgour then left the room, not to be seen again.

Resident Ron Pengelly said King’s talk was what he expected.

‘‘The point that I’m making is that the council needs to allocate money for our needs for the essential things and the things that are less essential, you provide less money for.

‘‘This council has no sense of making do.’’

Ratepayer Ken Simon respected King for coming.

‘‘Some of the things he said I agreed with, some no. I’m not impressed with the city debt. The debt should be wiped out.

‘‘The proposed rate increase is ridiculous, they need to stop spending, look at the things bleeding money. Claudelands is losing, the zoo …’’

‘‘They’re paying $75,000 a day in interest. What corporation does that?’’

Mischele Rhodes, president of the Hamilton Residents and Ratepayers Association, said King’s speech allowed members to see things from his point of view.

‘‘I think the rate increase feels as though it is too much and I think the members will probably look more closely at the budget and, like they say, cut out the wants and just stick to the needs.’’