Rebellion Leaders To Meet Arc Chair Gwen Bull On Monday

Next Years Rates, This Years Penalties And Instalment Payment Options To Be Discussed.

Leaders of the Regional Ratepayers Rebellion campaign are scheduled to meet with ARC chair Gwen Bull next Monday morning, 1st December.

The meeting was arranged following Mrs Bull's refusal to allow Rebellion representatives to address the full council after the presentation of the 40,000 signatures on the dual Protest/Petition last month.

The matters to be raised by the Rebellion campaign leaders are as follows.

1. Full Consultation on next years rating policy and methods as part of a total review as promised in ARC Press release of July 2003 - not just the transport rate.

Specific proposals for next year's rating policy;- a. Business Differential of 2.4 b. Rural differential of 0.5 c. Investigate use of Land Value with above differentials

2 This years rates situation a. Waive all penalties for 'part-payers' in view of different treatment being given to individual ratepayers b. Accept any method of payment suitable to individual ratepayers c. Be prepared to 'write-off' debts due from individual ratepayers who face financial hardship but who do not qualify for rebate under existing criteria. d. If it becomes apparent that the total budgeted rate requirement is not in fact required, or is not capable of being spent in the current year, apply a pro rata credit to all ratepayers. This credit to be applied to the current year where rates have not been paid in full - and carried forward as a credit for next year for those who have paid in full.

The Rebellion leaders will also ask the ARC to support a call to Government for a complete review of all local authority funding with a view to introducing funding methods which are not specifically geared to property values

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