Rates hike
Fast track rating system nonsense: I completely agree with Mano Manoharan and Ian Hanley’s letters, (Waikato Times, April 7).
After receiving the letter from HCC CEO on April 5, I couldn’t sleep well. When I read Hamilton’s 10-year plan documentation recently, I found it was manipulated to customise the proposed rate increase.
In 2014, the reliable former Hamilton mayor Julie Hardaker announced 10 year transit rating system with an average annual rate of 3.8 per cent for 10 years. So why do the current Hamilton mayor and CEO try to impose the mad annual rate increase of 25%, average for the next two years in the fast track? (As CEO letter indicates, if the property CV increases in the future, the real rate increase would be over 30-50% annually average over the two years).
Their accusation of borrowing money to maintain city is not persuasive because Hamilton borrowed money for the past decades without crazy rate hike like this, and wasn’t bankrupt like individuals.
Hamilton mayor and CEO’s most important job is not increasing rate madly like this because this kind of easy job can be done by everyone, even fools.
Their main job is controlling budget wisely with the right strategic thinking. So please redesign the 10-year plan again from the zero basis to accommodate 2014 10-year plan of annual rate increase of 3.8 per cent.
Hamilton shouldn’t grow too fast because it costs too much. Please slow down by suspending or delaying rosy projects like Hamilton Garden Place.
Fast track capital rating system will intensify distrust between HCC and ratepayers.
Please adopt the predetermined average annual rate increase of 3.8 per cent this year and redesign 10-year plan by communicating with ratepayers fully. Brian Kim
Hamilton . . . and yes, they may be working as hard as they can to restore services, but they need to establish those links, that human contact, to show those who are fearful and upset, that the human link has not been broken, and that even commercial companies consist of people, who understand and care on a compassionate basis . . . beyond that prime directive to make money.
Dennis Pennefather
Te Awamutu