Dunedin ratepayers facing a 6.1% rates hike for the next financial year could yet have to dig even deeper.
Mayor Dave Cull last night told the Otago Daily Times he was "not confident" rates for 2011-12 would be kept to a maximum 6.1% increase, following a Dunedin City Council workshop yesterday.
The full-day workshop had Dunedin's city councillors grilling council staff about council projects and initiatives outlined in the council's 2011-12 pre-draft annual plan.
The private workshop was a prelude to the two-day pre-draft annual plan hearing beginning this morning, which is public.
Speaking after the workshop, Mr Cull said yesterday's session provided a chance for councillors to clarify facts ahead of the public debate.
However, with rates increases of 6.1% and 8.9% looming over the next two financial years, Mr Cull said the underlying concern remained trying to minimise the increases.
"We don't want the rate rise to be any higher than it needs to be. We're just conscious that there's always things that will creep in and push it up.
"I'm not confident that we'll keep it at 6.1%, but I'm not going to predict what it'll be."
Deputy mayor Chris Staynes struck an equally cautious note, saying the focus should be on holding the next year's rates at 6.1%.
"Some things were brought up [yesterday] which would suggest it should go higher ... but you look through the capital projects and there isn't that much there to cut, I don't believe, to actually save."
Neither would discuss specific details of yesterday's discussions, but Cr Staynes said staff had been asked to reconsider some proposals.
"At the end of the day, all of the proposed resolutions are actually only staff proposing something to us. They're not our decisions, and in some cases what they're proposing to us probably wouldn't be our decisions."
The two-day hearing begins this morning, followed by public consultation and a three-day hearing from May 4-6, before the finalised plan is adopted on June 27.
