The Waimate District Council has proposed a rate increase of 2.71%.
The proposed budget for 2015-16 and the next nine years was outlined by chief financial officer Graham Durston at a council meeting on Wednesday.
Mr Durston said while the general rate increase was proposed at 2.71%, some ratepayers would have targeted rates, and the district-wide average rate increase was 5.57%.
Waimate Mayor Craig Rowley said he was ''happy'' with the rate increase. Staff had worked hard to present a ''realistic, no-frills'' budget for the council to approve.
''A section of the community has signalled that they want more expenditure on roading, resulting in a 10% increase in the roading rate,'' he said.
''Council wants to hear from all sectors of the community on what they think of this proposal.''
Councillors agreed that they did not want to see rates increase by more than 5.57% and proposed any extra expenditure identified by the community through the consultation period would be balanced by expenditure being reduced elsewhere.
Mr Rowley urged community feedback.
The consultation document, which highlights the key issues, will be distributed to every household in the district from next week.
An open forum will be held in the council chambers on April 20, from 10am to 3pm, and Tuesday, April 21, 2015 from 3pm to 7pm.
Rural meetings will be held at 7.30pm on April 28, at the Ikawai Hall, and at the Southburn Hall, at 7.30pm, on May 5.
Submissions to the Long Term Plan consultation document open on April 12 and close on May 15.
