Councils Holding the Country to Ransom

[spurner]

Wellington Regional Council is increasing bus fares up to 100%

Wellington City Council is increasing rates by 5.58%

Wellington City Council is increasing parking tickets 50%

Wellington City Council is increasing Daily Parking Coupons by 50%

Wellington City Council is increasing Residents Parking Permits by 28%



And this quote really amused me*:

The new fees would make public transport a more financially attractive option, he said.

However, from October, bus fares are set to increase to cover the 2.5 per cent GST rise. The inner-city bus fare will double to $2.

*bold highlighting is mine

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post...n-pocket-again

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post...se-of-over-5pc

[PC]

Inflation is only 3% - yeah right!

[WGN ex-property manager]

Depends how you measure it

He who sets the rules keeps the score

[Davo36]

I want to own a council. How do I buy one? I really like the way they can increase their prices to offset any increase in their expenses and in fact to more than offset them and turn a nice profit.

In fact I can pay almost infinity dollars for a council because I can offset the purchase price by simply increasing the income by the same amount. What's a good return for a council do you think? I'd be happy with 40, nah say 50% per 6 months. What do you reckon? Too low?

[eri]

i hear otira is going cheap

and you could probably pick up kumera or blackball for a song

[Davo36]

Otira City Council! I like it!

I call it "City" because you have to think positively, especially when rates will be quadrupling in the near future. I'll need a flash office building you see. I'll spin this as "Council Invests in Otira" - I just won't say it's being built with their own money.

The ratepayers will also have to pay for new roads, library (I like to read), picture theatre, indoor swimming pools, rugby stadium (think of who much we'll rake in with that one!) and many other things.

The Otira people won't know how impoverished they currently are until we levy them to pay for all this stuff. And then they will be wealthy beyond all measure. All our reports and graphs will show their happiness has increased enormously.

Perhaps we need a local beer tax (there's a good pub at Otira) to fund some of these sorts of things. Don't want to upset the apple cart though, I wonder what is the normal price for a pint in Otira? $8?, $9 like at the Viaduct? $3 you say! Wow that leaves a lot of room for taxes!

It's funding intiatives like that that council officials have the creativity to bring to undeveloped (i.e. low rates take) places like Otira. Surely they'd welcome us with open arms.

[Perry]

I want to own a council. How do I buy one? What's a good return for a council do you think? I'd be happy with 40, nah say 50% per 6 months. What do you reckon? Too low?

And they're about to start their own
bank so you may get seller-finance!
.

[One]

Got some bad news for you. When you buy Otira, you'll be owning all the houses. You can put your own rates up all you like!

[muppet]

Got some bad news for you.

Nah mate, good news......
You will be able to get the rent plus the rates.
Yipeeeee double dipping!!!!!!
Put up the rent because you have put the rates up.

[Davo36]

Perry, I laughed at this:

Councils fed up with being charged "over the odds" to borrow cash are about to start their own bank.

Like, HELLO! We're all sick of being charged "over the odds" for anything remotely involved with the council. We need to set up our own council...

[Perry]

I thought that would tickle your fancy!
.

[Davo36]

Tales of Woe Abound

Everwhere I go I seem to come across stories of people having trouble with councils. It's a bit like when you look for Mini's on the road, you see heaps of them, when you didn't notice them before, your radar is up.

I was getting my hair cut this morning and I was speaking to the lady cutting my hair and we got talking about her premises because they're very warm and sunny - it was too hot to sit by the window - in July!

So I said to her I'm doing a development and my property is on a northerly corner like hers. She asked how it was going and I said well I've owned it a year and I've only just got the building consent.

And then she told be about a friend of hers who is trying to turn her front room of her house into a hair salon. This is in Te Atatu which is the Waitakere Council area - poor her.

Well her friend has spent $40k so far on council costs and building alterations to change her deck (for disabled access), put in a disabled toilet, upgrade the room to the latest insulation standards and so on. This has taken 6 months so far and she still doesn't have permission to open.

This is the sort of thing that just stifles businesses in this country. Before you can do a new business and a location that hasn't had that business in it recently, you need to do the whole resource consent process and then building alterations to meet the latest building code rules for your premises.

I dunno, what would be the harm of someone cutting a few people's hair in the front room of her house unaltered? There could be a bit more traffic for the neighbours I guess, but apart from that, I can't think of any adverse effects. It's not noisy or polluting in any way.

So there's just another wee story. But how many are there like this out there? Must be literally thousands at any one time.

Hopefully the red tape can be cut one day but I'm pessimistic about that ever happening. Regulations only ever seem to get more stringent as time goes by.

[Shalodge]

A true story ....

"Is that the .... Council? I want to report some rubbish on the grass verge outside my property. It looks like some fish and chip wrapping... Can you have someone clean this up as soon as you can please. And while I have you .. how dare you put up my rates this year! We are really struggling .. bloody councils are all the same!"

Councils are overseen by Councilors who are voted in by you. Maybe the trouble lies with voters who elect representatives based on their own self interest? Nah couldnt be!

[flyernzl]

Councils are overseen by Councilors who are voted in by you.

No they're not.

The Labour Government removed that role quite a few years ago.
The Council is now run by what used to be the Town Clerk before his salary tripled and he became the City Manager/Chief Executive.

All and every request from the elected representatives must go through him, and he can tell them as little or as much as he likes and keep them entirely in the dark if he choses.

The Mayor and the Councilors now have very little power and simply serve as rubber stamps and apologists for the actions of the permanent council staff.

[Davo36]

That's bang on Flyernzl.