"I'm delighted that we've been recognised for something positive".
Hastings District Council had the second lowest average residential rate charges with $2,080.
Acting mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said they worked "extremely hard" to balance rates affordability for the community, while still meeting its aspirations and investment in infrastructure, amenities and services.
"Providing a high level of service to the community with good value for money is key".
However, the report also includes the number of performance-related dismissals in the past 12 months - which raised the ire of Mr Williams, as none had been recorded for Hastings.
"Incredibly, despite the water killing three people, Ratepayers' Report exposes that not a single person has been fired for poor performance at the Hastings District Council in the last year. Not even one," he said.
"That compares to the Far North District Council, a council of similar size, where five people were sacked over the same period for not being up to scratch."
In response, Ms Hazlehurst said their council, through its Chief Executive took responsibility to ensure it employed "the best people to deliver the best outcomes to the community in all areas of Council's business".
"Our Council's [number one] priority is to ensure we provide the delivery of safe drinking water to our community.
"There has been and continues to be significant work in this area, with a strong and fit for purpose team who will implement the change programme, the outcomes of the Government Water Inquiry and deliver our robust new water strategy."
The highest average rate charges were from Central Hawke's Bay District Council, at $2,511.
However CHB mayor Alex Walker said this was because the district covered a large area, which supported two townships and smaller villages, which all required services.
"So what happens is we have a small population base which has a large requirement for infrastructure and services. That has to be divided across the ratepayers that we've got, even though there's big expectations on us," she said.
She added the report did not compare "apples with apples" - with only 25 per cent of CHB ratepayers classed as residential.
Although Wairoa District Council's rates were lower, the report suggested "that ratepayers in Wairoa District are not receiving the same value for money as their counterparts in Napier City".
"Residential ratepayers in Wairoa District are faced with an average rates bill of $2,382, as well as having the region's highest staff costs per residential ratepayer at $2,287," Mr Williams said.
"Ratepayers in Wairoa District may wish to question why their town hall has a higher ratio of staff to residential ratepayers than any other council in New Zealand. Staff costs per ratepayer are more than double those of the Hastings District Council."
"For such a financially challenged district, this suggests there is an element of empire building at the expense of ensuring ratepayers get value for money."
Wairoa mayor Craig Little did not respond to requests for comment.
The report also found Napier City Council paid proportionally fewer staff a salary of over $100,000 compared to any other council in New Zealand, with fewer than five per cent of staff receiving such remuneration.
Wairoa District had the highest ratio of staff to residential ratepayers in New Zealand, with one employee for every 27 residential ratepayers.