A 3.4% rates rise is being proposed by the Waitaki District Council for the next financial year, but ratepayers have yet to have their say on whether that is acceptable.
The council yesterday finalised its 10-year Long Term Council Community Plan, which also includes the budget for next financial year.
After scrutinising the plan, councillors ended up with a rates increase that will mean the council will collect $23.7 million from ratepayers in the 2009-10 financial year compared with $22.9 million this year.
In December, the council started its preliminary budget round with an indicated rates rise of almost 15%.
After three days of debate, it cut the rise to 3.8% and staff checks reduced the rise to 3.1%, which was the council's starting point for yesterday's rates debate.
Mayor Alex Familton said at the start of yesterday's debate there was no doubt global economic problems would cause waves in the district.
While the council needed to be prudent with its budget, that needed to be balanced with a positive attitude towards the future.
One of the first items up for debate was the decision in December to slash the annual training and travel budget. Chief executive Michael Ross said that could affect the council's ability to attract staff.
The council had a strategy to attract and retain staff by developing their skills through training. He described the reduction as a cut too far.
Councillors finally voted to set the training budget at $210,000 for the next financial year and $250,000 a year from 2010-11 onwards.
However, councillors voted against restoring $60,000 to the budget for community development and continued employment of community development officer Louise Day.
The council asked community services group manager Tanya Winter for a report on how the position could be funded within existing rates.
Cr Jim Hopkins said it was not the community development activity that concerned him but the cost. He asked if the cost could come from other savings within the community services group.
Cr Gary Kircher could not support putting the $60,000 back in the budget.
If community development was something the community valued, it could support it in submissions.
The draft plan will be formally approved by the council on March 10, then go out for public consultation.
The plan is in two volumes, totalling almost 250 pages, but ratepayers will get a 12-page summary, along with individual examples of the rates they will pay.
