W.C.C Ignore Thousands Of Submitters Over Fixed Waste Water Charges

Wcc proposal to introduce a capital value rating system and a flat charge for waste water

Re letter to Residents “important message- your Rates 2006-2007 sent by waitakere city council

Where C.A.P generally supports Capital Value Rating as a fairer system for the majority low to average valued property owners, we are absolutely opposed to the proposed flat tax for water waste.

If Council maintain the present system for waste water charging even more residents would benefit from Capital Value Rating and those who would already benefit would enjoy a bigger rate reduction.

This flat tax proposal is designed to benefit a wealthy minority. The cost of waste water to the community hasn’t changed. This proposal serves to Re-distribute this cost- In this case shifting it downwards on to the low to average income majority.

While wealthy properties owners will enjoy rate` reductions. Is this fair?

The letter residents received from W.C.C STATES.

“The Council is looking to address a matter that caused considerably concerns last year as a result of Council continuing to charge for waste water services on value of a property.”

This statement is a cynical manipulation of facts. A few years ago the “Go Waitakere” dominated Council attempted to bring in a fixed charges for waste water. Thousands of residents signed submission attended public meetings and picketed Council. Mayor Harvey, Cllrs Stone, Hulse, Clews, Dallow, Battersby and others voted the proposal down on the bases the flat taxes penalised the people who could least afford to pay them and hughy benefited a minority of rich property owners.

It would be a gross hypocrisy if they began supporting it now.

The waste water proposal contributed to all “Go Waitakere” Councillors loosing their seats at the time. The very small minority (2%) of residents usually pensioners on fixed incomes on high valued properties who are authentically penalised under the present system could easily be helped. The Council already has the ability to wave their rates and Re-coup on the time of their passing when the property is sold or bequeathed. But this Council would rather pander to the needs of the rich minority who can well afford their rates, but blatantly hide behind the plight of these pensioners. It’s a disgrace.

C.A.P encourages the average income majority to once again send in submissions Supporting Capital Value Rating and opposing this fixed waste water proposal.

Waste water has been charged as part of rates ever since the system was 1st introduced nearly 100 years ago. We would seriously question the motive of people who seek to question the system now as simply selfish.

Why are fixed or flat charges unfair?

Flat taxes mean everyone pays exactly the same –sounds fair! But it isn’t.

Consider the following.

If a person A’s income is $100 and the flat tax was $10.00. This tax would represent 10% of person A’s income.

If a person B’s income is $200 the flat tax by its very nature is still $ 10.00. This would represent only 5% of person B’s income. This is how this fixed water charge would mean the poor end up subsidising the rich.

A very high property value owner would therefore receive a Hugh reduction in water charges as a result of this proposed system.

Ends

© Scoop Media