During lengthy discussions about the long-term plan consultation document, Central Otago District councillors heard of the windfall found in tourism reserves.
Under discussion was the possibility of the council giving money to Highland Motorsport Park to assist with hosting V8 supercars at their Cromwell site.
Deputy mayor Neil Gillespie asked how was it possible to find $400,000, while Maniototo councillor Stu Duncan wanted to know if there was any more.
Business support group manager Saskia Righarts said the reserves had been in different accounts.
Chief finance officer Paul Morris said potentially other reserves had been merged into other activities and a project had begun to examine all reserves.
Mr Gillespie said the councillors used to get a reserves accounts report but that had not happened for some time.
"This obviously wasn’t included in it as it was sitting somewhere else."
Mr Duncan said he did not want to be "snarky or angry", but $400,000 would allow every community to keep the halls and recreation facilities currently under review as part of the LTP.
"We had half a percent of rates increase we didn’t know we had."
Mayor Tamah Alley said it had not "just been sitting in a bucket".
Dr Righarts said it was in the accounts — it just was not tagged.
The money was to be used for tourism and its discovery meant the council could pay the $250,000 requested from Highlands without affecting rates.
However, Dr Righarts said it was a grey area where the council was not obliged to consult on.
"This one, I think, because it is a decent amount of money and it is an investment in something like supercars I do personally think this is worth you having a conversation with the community to see, in these financial times, if our community wants us to be spending money on stuff like this or other things."
Mr Gillespie said to not consult would be arrogant.
Mr Duncan said funding the supercars would not affect rates and the matter did not need to be consulted on.
Community and engagement manager Paula Penno said it was money that could be spent on other things or what was needed in the wards. .
Cromwell councillor Sarah Browne said the community should have its say rather than the council make the decision for them.
Mr Duncan said he was getting frustrated.
"We put shock and awe into the community about big rates rises, had a discussion about depreciating water because it’s going to go away and now there is this money."
Supercars remained on the list of items to be consulted on in March.
Public meetings would be held in each ward from March 26 to April 8 as part of the consultation process.
