Council Committed To Rating Review

The council is firmly committed to holding a rating review despite making the decision to postpone the current process.

Mayor Maureen Reynolds said it was “a complex matter with no simple answers.”

“The objective of not rushing the rating review is to ensure that any decisions that may result from this process are in the interests of the majority of the community,” she said.
Because it will take further time to complete the review the council has now decided to hold it over until the completion of the Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP), which must be signed off by June 30, 2009.

The council intends to further consider options that may provide alternative ways to levy rates to fund its community services and activities, the mayor said.
“But I must emphasise that a rating review will not address any expectations of rating decreases, and the changes that may be made will have different consequences for each sector of the community.”