Hamilton City Council’s proposed rates 19.9% rates rise gets low response

Hamilton City Council chief executive Lance Vervoort said social media commentary showed Hamiltonians had strong views on the proposed Long-term Plan.

Hamilton residents risk their views going unheard as a low number of official responses to proposed rates hikes contradicts strong social media feedback.

One week after Hamilton City Council announced a proposed 19.9 per cent rates rise in the next financial year, only 212 official responses to the proposal have been submitted.

However, Hamilton City Council chief executive Lance Vervoort said social media commentary showed Hamiltonians had strong views on the proposals.

“We need to see that passion come through in the volume of people providing the type of feedback we need.”

Elected members would not focus on social media feedback when making their final decisions on the Long-term Plan in July, he said.

Instead, they would mainly consider responses submitted through the council’s official website.

Consultation on the 2024-2034 Long-term Plan began on March 19, after the council proposed a budget of $6.3 billion to keep the city running for the next 10 years.

So far, only 212 responses have been received through the council’s website.

This is despite more than 6000 people having visited the consultation pages on the website. Almost 4000 users have accessed the rates calculator, which shows what a property’s proposed rates are for the next three years.

Vervoort said community consultation was not just a box-ticking exercise.

“Every official response is provided to elected members and I know they spend many hours reading through these, making notes and considering how that feedback can flow into their final decisions.”

Hamilton City Council chief executive Lance Vervoort.

He said the Long-term Plan was the community’s primary opportunity to influence the way the council runs the city.

“We want to hear from residents about any aspect of the council’s business. If there is something you want us to keep, stop or start doing then you need to give us that feedback through the website.”

At its full meeting on March 14, the council said it would need to increase rates by an average of 19.9 per cent - $11 per week - in the next financial year to balance the books.

This would be followed by an average 15.5 per cent in rates rises each financial year to 2029, a 9 per cent increase in 2029/30 and 5 per cent rates rises each year after that to 2034.

Community consultation on the Long-term Plan will run until April 21. Verbal submissions would be heard by the council in May.

The council is scheduled to consider all feedback in June and confirm a final 2024-34 Long-term Plan on July 4.

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