Former Far North deputy mayor Dover Samuels is calling for councillors to stand down if the council's proposed 6.7% rates rise goes ahead
By Susan Botting, Local Democracy Reporter
The veteran politician said the Far North District Council should instead have a rates freeze.
Samuel's call comes after reading a Local Democracy Reporting Northland story about the plight of Far North ratepayer Oromahoe's Gail Olliver who says an ever-increasing district rates bill is forcing her off her land.
Samuels said Olliver's situation reflected that facing many people around the Far North.
He said councillors should go for a zero rates rise to "reflect the reality of the ratepayers of the Far North" and the hardships they face.
"Olliver has made a plea. She's not someone who's trying to evade rates.
"I felt sad when I read about her situation."
Samuels said the situation facing the Far North was the worst he had seen and the impact of fuel price hikes was hitting people hard.
Ratepayers would be extremely challenged with FNDC rates rising by 6.7%, he said.
"Listen to what’s happening out there with your ratepayers and acknowledge the challenge that's before them and the difficulty that’s facing the community," Samuels said.
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said a zero rates rise was always possible.
"...but the real question is: if we choose that, what are we prepared to go without?" Tepania said.
Tepania said halving the 2026/2027 rates increase to 3% was an option the council would consider alongside the 6.7% rise, when it made its coming year's rates decision in June.
But he said it was important people understood there were real world differences between 3% and a 6.7% increase.
"The difference between 3% and 6.7% equates to around 53 cents per week per $100,000 property value – so roughly $3 per week for a typical home," Tepania said.
"That difference needs to be weighed against the services and infrastructure it would fund."
Reductions would likely impact what some would describe as 'nice to haves' such as swimming pools, libraries, community programmes and other local amenities.
He said these formed part of the services that supported community wellbeing and quality of life, even if some saw them as non-essentials.
"The financial reality is that removing these items would not significantly reduce overall rates increases, because most spending is tied up in core infrastructure," Tepania said.
"Without alternative funding tools, reducing rates does not remove pressure, it just limits our ability to make it, often resulting in deferred infrastructure, service reductions or increased debt."
Tepania said Samuels was entitled to his views.
"... but these are complex decisions with real consequences for our communities and as our former FNDC Deputy Mayor and a central government MP Matua Dover will know all too well the cost pressure we face, and unfortunately without better funding and financing tools, the council has to reply on rates for our services," Tepania said.
Tepania said he understood and empathised with the pressure many in the Far North were currently under.
"At the same time, it’s important to be clear that a zero rates rise also has real-world consequences for our communities, particularly for our most vulnerable," Tepania said.
"A zero rates rise means fewer services, deferred infrastructure and bigger costs down the track. We can’t freeze rates and still maintain the same level of service, so there will always be tradeoffs."
Samuels said more than half of the Far North’s population identified as Māori.
"What about the council’s Māori ward councillors? They were there to bring a Māori perspective benefitting our community."
Tepania said he stood behind the mahi the FNDC Māori ward councillors have been doing to ensure Māori perspectives are heard.
"I do want to assure people that we care and that our staff have been working around the clock to try to find the most savings they can without blowing out all our core services and infrastructure," Tepania said.
"At the heart of this is the issue of trying to maintain a difficult balance of keeping rates as affordable as possible, while making sure our communities have the services and infrastructure, they need now and info the future.
"At the end of the day, a zero rates increase doesn't remove costs, it shifts them and often makes the bigger later. The real question is not whether we pay, but when and how."
– Local Democracy Reporting is local-body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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