Source: Taxpayers Union
28 MAY 2020FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Waitomo District Councillors should be ashamed to walk the streets after shutting down the Mayor’s planned rate freeze, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “At other councils, we’ve seen outspoken councillors pushing for rates freezes over the objections of reluctant mayors. In Waitomo, the situation has been flipped: the Mayor has boldly progressed a rates freeze, only to be shut down by cowardly councillors.” “Yes, a rates freeze would require councillors to make difficult cutbacks in non-essential spending, including cuts to salaries. But are the kinds of sacrifices being faced by ratepayers. It is only fair that the council cuts its cloth in the same way.” “Instead, Waitomo councillors have decided to increase costs on households at the worst possible time. While the Mayor can hold his head high, the rest of the pathetic, yellow-bellied councillors should expect an unforgiving response by ratepayers at the next local election.”
