Cr Jami-Lee Ross
Manukau City Councillor For Howick

Media Release
4 September 2007

Howick Councillor first to sign pledge

Howick Councillor Jami-Lee Ross is the first Manukau Councillor to sign the Federated Farmers six point pledge card for better local government.

Mr Ross says the six pledges are all issues that he has been pushing for in the last three years and that signing the pledge is his further commitment to key policies important to ratepayers.

“The pledge card that Federated Farmers has asked all candidates to sign contains six very important principles that will lead to more responsible and sensible Council decision making.

“Keeping Council focussed on its core activities has been a top priority for me over the last three years. Too often Council’s focus deviates from its core business which leads to a culture of waste and mismanagement.

“Likewise, the full use of uniform annual charges and targeted rates would help to spread the rates burden more fairly amongst ratepayers by lowering the proportion of rates calculated on property value.”

Mr Ross voted against the Council’s ten percent wastewater charge increases and six percent rates increases earlier this year. He also voted to increase the Council's uniform annual general charge to the 30 percent legal maximum.

I pledge that if elected as a councillor I, JAMI-LEE ROSS, will:

- view ratepayers as the council’s most important customer.

- push for rate payers to receive itemised rates assessments.

- keep council focussed on its core activities.

- ensure full use of uniform annual charges and targeted rates.

- lobby for a fairer rating system.

- vote against any rate increase greater than the consumers price index.

Signed by Jami-Lee Ross, 4/9/2007

ENDS

Press Release from Federated Farmers: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0709/S00024.htm

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