Wellington City Council (WCC) Rates summaries

[absoluteproperty]

Hi all,

I have pitched a question to the WCC today of which they seem to have copy and pasted an answer to me, which does not answer my question (trained by Microsoft perhaps to give an answer which technically makes sense but does not resolve the query?).

My question is, as a property owner within Wellington (Te Aro), I receive a rates bill each quarter. I pay these rates as anyone else.

Is there any way to get a summarised table of what the rates payment covers and how much is charged for each component?

The issue I raised with them as that the street which one of my properties is located on has no lighting, creating an increased likelihood of degradation of the street over time. WCC have advised they have put through a job to look into installing some street lighting, but this only resolves my complaint and not my query.

I know it is possible to get this kind of summary for Auckland rates (or used to be possible at least) when I lived there.. can this be done here in Wellington?

[Keys]

Use the OIA.

[absoluteproperty]

Thanks Keys, speedy response on a Sunday! I shall pitch the request under the OIA and see what they come back with. Seemed unusual when I got the last rates fee payment request (and the few before that!).. I was sure the parents in Auckland used to get itemised summaries of what each service totaled so that they could dispute anything they were being charged for but not receiving (in my case no street lights in a CBD Street, which is really an outrage in terms of safety and security).

[Davo36]

Yeah it doesn't work like that. It's not 100% user pays.

For instance in Auckland we get levied for the museum, but you can't say "I never go to the museum, so I'm not paying for that." Or at least if you do, you won't have any luck with getting money back.

And it's not the OIA you use for getting info out of councils, it's another act: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/p...html#DLM122284

[TheLiberalLeft]

Don't be silly. They can't have you knowing just how much your portion of their overseas junkets costs.

[absoluteproperty]

ABsolutely agreed, I can say that due to the work I do I rarely use any public services whatsoever.. I am not a millionaire but do not have time to go to Te Papa, the National library etc.. finding an hour a day to spend with my partner is near on impossible let alone these types of things. But I would assume that the council has some sort of public safety and security policy, whereby they identify areas of high residential occupation, and of which essentials such as street lighting and drainage are apportioned accordingly.

I shall do some digging this evening at work and see what I can find out

[speights boy]

You wanna know about costs?
Even your Mayor has to wait till the newspaper is delivered.

Mayor vows to cut $350,000 refit

She said council staff had briefed her on the potential layout of a temporary office in the central library, but she had no idea so much money had been set aside until she read about it in Saturday's Dominion Post.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/8467022/Mayor-vows-to-cut-350-000-refit


Meanwhile in Auckland, there are far more important things occupying councilors' minds.

'Donkey votes' can make an ass of council election

Tomorrow, Auckland councillors decide whether candidates' names in this year's ballot papers should be listed in alphabetical order.

www.nzherald.co.nz/local-government/news/article.cfm?c_id=250&objectid=10878938

[Keys]

And it's not the OIA you use for getting info out of councils, it's another act: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/p...html#DLM122284

Now that is interesting Dave. Appreciate the link. It now resides in my favourite folder for Acts of Parliament.

[Bob Kane]

Is there any way to get a summarised table of what the rates payment covers and how much is charged for each component?

This sounds like a reasonable request but I suspect you'll never get the details that you are after.
The council may spend say $100,000 on street lighting but they won't allocate an amount for your street - so how will you know if you're getting your fair share?

[absoluteproperty]

The council have been very good - a contractor has come back to me saying that he will be taking photos of the street to put the case forward for more lighting - he has confirmed there is 1 light on the 1 power pole on the street.

He has also sadly confirmed that WCC have put a freeze on erecting any new lighting poles, which is quite surprising considering I have not put a freeze on paying my rates, and it may create some discontent between them by my part if I did..

Shall see what he can do and hopefully the motorcycle gang will magically stop having their parties on the road, fireworks on the street, smashing bottles, dragging girlfriends by the throat, having brawls with various groups on the footpath, etc in the meantime.

[Keys]

While you are at it. Ask for a copy of the regulations pertaining to street lighting. There may be a minimum requirement.

[Shalodge]

I am not sure that asking for a breakdown of spending on streetlighting will help. Councils dont keep individual ratepayers accounts .. your money goes into the various pools. The best you can get is a list of the smaller targeted and uniform rates that make up your total rate bill.

Your best bet is to focus on levels of service .. i.e if you pay the same you should get the same LOS.

The mistake is thinking that Councils are service providers .. while they do provide services they are not charged on a user pays basis but on a taxation basis.

Russell

[Davo36]

He has also sadly confirmed that WCC have put a freeze on erecting any new lighting poles

But not a freeze on refitting offices it would seem

[partya]

I seem to recall that when you receive your GWRC rates bill, they summarise how rates are apportioned? Perhaps that won't pertain to how WCC rates are spent, I'm not sure.