Confusion reigned when Otago regional councillors set the average rates increase of 18.8% in this year’s Otago Regional Council draft annual plan.
Some councillors appeared to learn after the fact they had already set the increase about 10 minutes earlier in the meeting.
A first-term councillor first brought it to their attention.
Former chairman Cr Andrew Noone tried — unsuccessfully — to set the rates rise at 16.8% "subject to [the] council receiving confirmation that current and future work programmes will not be impacted".
This prompted Cr Michael Laws to express his concern about the wording of the motion.
"This doesn’t tell you what’s going to happen if the current and future work programmes ‘are’ going to be impacted by a 16.8% [increase]. And when do we get confirmation?" Cr Laws said.
"It’s just a little bit too important to play around on an informal basis, I would have thought."
Chairwoman Gretchen Robertson began considering aloud an alternative motion that would put forward an 18.8% increase, or an adjournment for discussion.
Interim chief executive Dr Pim Borren stepped in and said he would be happy to move ahead with a motion that did not tie a draft rates increase to a review of its impact on future works.
That was when first-term councillor Cr Elliot Weir made an observation.
"Sorry, and I hate to make things more complex, but it would appear that councillors already approved the rate increase," Cr Weir said.
Through previous motions councillors had approved changes to the third year of the present long-term plan and established a draft position for the 2023-24 draft annual plan.
"We’ve already made that decision," they said.
Dr Borren stepped in again and said he would take the new vote to set the rates increase at 16.8% to over-ride the previous motion.
However, the vote failed.
Only Crs Kevin Malcolm, Tim Mepham and Noone voted for it.
"OK, so do we have an alternative motion?" Cr Robertson asked. "Oh, we don’t need to — yeah, exactly, sorry, good point."
It appeared not to be immediately clear to Cr Malcolm.
"So now we’re saying it’s 18.8%?" he asked.
Cr Laws interjected.
"Sorry, madam chair, you don’t have a rate increase at all now."
Cr Bryan Scott said he was happy to move an average 18.8% increase if necessary.
Cr Robertson then said again that another vote was not necessary because the staff report was set up in such way that the fourth motion "particularly" had established the proposed rates increase.
On that vote Crs Laws, Malcolm and Gary Kelliher recorded a no.
