Hamilton City Council: Have your say on the final draft budget.

The council says it has considered all angles to save money without cutting services. Photo / Supplied

Hamilton City Council is inviting the community to share its voice on the final draft of its 2023-24 Annual Plan budget. Consultation is open until Monday, May 8.

Set in the Long-Term Plan, the council will stick to the average 4.9 per cent rates increase.

Alongside this, the council says it has searched hard to find ways to reduce spending, increase revenue, and delay some planned projects following the ongoing challenges of record-high inflation and interest rates, meaning everything is costing more.

The draft budget proposes to increase the entry fee for non-Hamiltonians aged 16 and over for access to the enclosed areas at Hamilton Gardens to an average of $20 from early 2024, and pause work to explore a roof over the Lido Pool at Waterworld by one year.

Combined with other proposed measures, these changes will reduce the council’s forecast balancing-the-books deficit – the difference between what it spends on everyday costs and receives in revenue – from $35 million to $15 million.

Mayor Paula Southgate says she is looking forward to hearing the community’s thoughts on the draft budget. Photo / Supplied

The council says that community services (such as how often rubbish is collected) and facilities the community use (such as library opening hours) will not be affected.

“We know everyone is currently under pressure from the rising cost of living and a lot of people are doing it really tough, so we’ve been considering all angles to save money without cutting the services and facilities our community really values,” said Mayor Paula Southgate.

“We think we’ve done a good job to strike that tricky balance and cut costs wherever it was feasible.

“I’m really looking forward to hearing the community’s thoughts, so we can start putting the plan into action for the coming year.”

Other proposed measures include reducing spending on contractors and consultants, information services, and staff salaries and wages.

Funding has also been received for existing programmes through the central government’s Better Off fund, which increases operating revenue for 2023-24.

Does this sound like the council’s on the right track?

Find out more detail on the council’s draft budget, and financial situation, and have your say here.