Brown Blindsides Ratepayers Over Rates

“While I agree with Len Brown regarding how unfair it is that local government is currently funded by a property tax, it is clear the Mayor is simply raising this issue to blindside ratepayers over the real problem. That is his excessive and damaging addiction to spending!”

Stephen Berry, the Leader of Affordable Auckland, believes a user pays approach to funding council services wherever practical is the fairest and most efficient way. “Obviously I am not proposing that we put toll gates and ticket booths on public parks, but user charges for services such as water reward conservation, penalise waste and don’t see the responsible subsidising the reckless.”

Len Brown has identified pensioners owning high value properties on small incomes as an example of those who suffer under the current rating system. Berry wonders, “Is Brown reading my press releases? I have stood up for those same people who are victimised by Brown’s outrageous spending policies. Even with the unfair system we currently have, pensioners in high value homes would be far better off if Council stuck to funding the bare essentials instead of pie in the sky white water rafting centres and tram systems to nowhere.”

Stephen Berry completely disagrees with Brown over the suitability of a local body income tax. “An income tax has the same flaws as a property tax. People pay based on what they’re worth rather than what they consume and there are no incentives for personal responsibility or efficiency.”

“Whatever is eventually decided to be the most appropriate way to gather Council revenue, if Brown remains Mayor and maintains a left-wing majority on Council then local taxation will only go up at an ever increasing rate. Already borrowing levels are the same as what the Council receives from taxation. Already 19% of that tax is spent on servicing the interest on $7 billion worth of debt. The rampant spending of today is going to guarantee the rapid rates increases of tomorrow.”

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