Changes to projected ward rates for the Teviot Valley have seen a possible 7.6% increase reduce to 2.5%.
The Teviot Valley Community Board discussed the estimates for the 2017-18 year at its meeting on Monday but asked for some budget items to be altered to reduce the projected rise.
Central Otago District Council chief financial officer Bernard Murphy confirmed this week two items had been altered, reducing the rise.
Board chairman Raymond Gunn welcomed the reduction.
The two changes to the budgets were reinstating a reserve contribution that would offset the ward rates (adding $5000 in income to the budget), and not funding depreciation of the Roxburgh swimming pool (removing $13,000 of expenditure).
As well as separate ward increases for rates in different districts, the district-wide general rate is budgeted to rise by 2.8%.
The draft ward budgets will now be included in the Central Otago District Council’s 2017-18 draft annual plan.
