The new inflation-adjusted figure is the result of $1.05 million in additional spending approved over four days of Dunedin City Council budget hearings, which were adjourned yesterday until February 2.
The increase is above that already included in the council's original pre-draft budget presented by staff for scrutiny by councillors beginning on Thursday last week.
The additional expenditure was added as some councillors signalled a reluctance to cut budgets further to achieve savings, alongside an eagerness to support initiatives aimed at boosting economic development in the city.
However, yesterday's end result of an additional 1.1% in rates prompted a flurry of last-minute debate and suggestions, which could yet see the final figure lowered.
Cr Fliss Butcher was the first to suggest a cost-cutting measure, saying money could be saved if councillors attended fewer "fluffy" conferences.
The council has a budget of $25,000 a year for costs associated with sending councillors to conferences, which is subject to approval by Mayor Peter Chin.
However, the idea raised the ire of Cr Michael Guest, who believed it was a "cheap shot" when the focus should, instead, be on pruning significant areas of the city's nearly $90 million revenue from rates.
He began voicing a long list of council departments and estimates receiving "phenomenal increases" - something that took several minutes and prompted Mayor Chin to interject.
Cr Guest urged councillors to focus on those areas, saying the final rates increase could be reduced by as much as 3% if they did. Other councillors focused on the city's planned big-ticket capital projects.
Cr Neil Collins suggested deferring the planned multimillion-dollar harbourside development.
Cr Chris Staynes agreed, saying the planned capital expenditure appeared "front-ended". He also supported deferring other projects, including the Mosgiel arterial route.
"We need to give some thought over the next few weeks to the timing and priority of some projects, and whether we can move those," he said.
Cr Teresa Stevenson suggested the council's $41,000 in annual funding for Olveston could be reviewed, while Cr Kate Wilson returned to an earlier theme, saying the libraries budget, of almost $10 million, should be trimmed.
However, Cr Richard Walls said councillors had failed to "address the big issues", as shown by the debate over the libraries budget.
"Now it's up to the public to tell us what they can handle and what they can't handle," he said.
