Mayor's Double Whammy Hits Howick

Not only will Howick Ratepayers pay an additional $7,200,000 in rates next year, but the Howick Local Board will get $500,000 less in discretionary capital expenditure funding.

The Council's Governing Body has resolved to pay "Mayor's Additional Capex Funding" to only 11 of the 21 Local Boards. Rather than receiving $500,000 as it did for the current financial year, next year the Howick Local Board will receive $0.

Howick Local Board Chairman, Michael Williams is calling on Councillors to change its funding formula.

"Howick Local Board needs additional funding for beach erosion control and sports field drainage and we will have difficulty funding these without additional funding." says Williams, "We also have a shortage of facilities in the newer areas of Botany and Ormiston where population has grown by 30,000 in the past 10 years and will grow another 30,000 in the next 10."

"Capital Expenditure should be allocated based on depreciation of existing assets, growth in population and deficits in particular service levels, not on meaningless statistics."

ENDS

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