Some fiscal discipline for Auckland
Auckland Mayoral Candidate Vic Crone has announced her first set of policies.
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Hawke’s Bay
Victoria Crone has announced:
Auckland Mayoral Candidate Vic Crone has announced her first set of policies, fiscally responsible commitments she says are fundamental basics of building a world class city.
The policies were jointly developed with Auckland Future and the announcement includes lifting council performance in four key areas: keeping residential rates low, cutting waste, reducing staff costs and controlling debt – essentials that council needs to get right.
“Last year ratepayers faced a 9.9 per cent average rates increase, for some it was a shocking 15 per cent. As Mayor I will cap average residential rates increases at 2 per cent per annum for the next three years,” says Ms Crone.
So Victoria Crone and Auckland Future are pledging a maximum rates increase of 2% annually for the next three years.
Having rates go up massively end endlessly is a political choice. Len Brown and the current Council chose to increase rates by 9.9%.
This year Aucklanders should check out all candidates for Council and the Mayor, and ask if they have made a pledge on rates increases. If they won’t make a pledge, then don’t vote for them unless you want more further massive rates increases.
Vic Crone’s leadership will deliver at least $500 million in savings with a focus on reducing back-office waste, efficient procurement, cutting duplication and imposing a Mayor-led Line-Item Review programme.
As a start, Crone will reduce staff costs by 5-10 per cent over the next three years and cap staff numbers at current levels, saving up to $80 million.
“It’s concerning that every year for the last three years council has exceeded its staff cost budget line by over $50 million. I will put a stop to this trend while protecting frontline staff, core services and key capital investments.”
This can be done. If anything, one could be even more ambitious with reducing staff costs.
Political commentator and pollster David Farrar posts at Kiwiblog.
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Some fiscal discipline for Auckland
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