RRR is keen to get Raglan residents working together to have a strong collective voice on their rates and what they are spent on. Submissions can be made on Waikato District Council’s 3-yearly Long Term Plan between Thu 5 April and Wed 9 May.
RRR has planned a public meeting at 7pm on Friday 13 April (the Friday after Easter) to get ideas together. RRR’s aim is to get together as comprehensive view form the community, so that the Raglan Community Board can readily see what Raglan people want their rates money spent on (and what they don’t want it wasted on).
The aim is to have more informed participation by ratepayers and residents in council decision making, from the community board to the council itself. Current legislation provides for better information from council about costs, rates and activities, enabling ratepayers and residents to better understand and influence the planning and decision-making processes.
The evening outcomes could include an opportunity to reopen the issue of the unfair rates paid by Raglan. Council’s rates review was done over Christmas and was mixed up with the rates revaluation. This is a real opportunity to say what we think of water meters, targeted rates, flat rates and the big items council spends (wastes?) our money on.
Bob MacLeod
President 2011/12
Raglan Residents & Ratepayers