WDC rates 2

Well, it’s that time of the year again, when all manner of excuses are wheeled out and put to the minions. And no matter how many submissions are made, complaints received, the outcome remains the same. It all falls on deaf ears. So much for democracy.

In the April edition of Link, the free Waikato district news pamphlet, Mayor Allan Sanson has dragged out the same lame excuses in response to what can only be described as a massive rates increase. Something that was not deemed important enough to let on, until now. At least the HCC had a big fanfare for its ridiculous increases, followed by quite a bit of ridiculous gobbledegook as expressed by one or two of their councillors. That didn’t work, and neither will Sanson’s explanations.

‘‘Our growing community’’ and ‘‘we are one of the fastest growing districts in the country’’, quotes from paragraph one and two of the mayor’s message suggests to me that all these newcomers to the Waikato are not paying rates. Surely the more people that come to live in the Waikato actually increases the tax take.

If the WDC ‘‘simply cannot continue to deliver the services and infrastructure that our growing community needs . . .’’ and ‘‘something has to change’’, well, may I suggest a change of management, starting at the top. Let’s have someone in there who can balance the books with all this increased newcomer revenue. Let’s have someone who doesn’t have to make silly excuses. If we all ran our households in a similar fashion to the WDC, we would be on the streets. A few probably will be after these intolerable hikes.

Just wondering how long it will be before the real WDC CEO’s pay increase is announced, and how much. Enough is enough.

W Phelps

Ohinewai