An increase of 4.75% in the total rates to be collected by the Waitaki District Council in the 2011-12 financial year was formally approved yesterday, a process which took 12 minutes.
The council had finalised its 2011-12 annual plan on May 31 and yesterday's extraordinary meeting was to go through the formal approval process.
However, while the overall increase is 4.75%, the impact on individual ratepayers will differ. Some will see their rates bills get smaller or stay the same, while others whose water supplies are being upgraded could face rises of 10% or more.
Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton said the council had been prudent with its budget.
Items which stretched its budget were sewerage, stormwater and water-supply upgrades. Mr Familton said the council would still carry out a range of projects, including the Alps 2 Ocean cycleway, Oamaru Harbour development, irrigation and town enhancements.
These would benefit the whole district.
Under the annual plan, the council will spend $50.8 million, compared with $54.5 million in the current financial year. The reduction is because some capital works projects, paid for by sources other than rates, have been dropped. What remains will be partly paid for by increasing the total rates from $24.4 million this financial year to $25.5 million next financial year.
