Straight from city council A personal view, by Councillor Steve Morris

Last week, council unveiled its $5 billion draft 10-year budget. Shockingly, Council requires 40 per cent more rates over the next three years.

That doesn't mean a 40 per cent increase in your rates bill, as this figure includes rates on new homes being built and lower rates increases for home owners as council seeks to bring commercial ratepayers into line with what they pay in other cities.

How it's chopped up isn't as important as the size of the burden to begin with, and in my view, it's not sustainable.

How did we get here? Big infrastructure like the $125 million Waiari Water Treatment Plant to prevent future water restrictions and other big growth projects from roads to sewage are driving the increase to a large extent.

However, the mix of councillors you elected has played a part too.

As I've mentioned before, there are two political blocs around the table which I've characterised as those who want to ‘invest more' and those who want to be ‘more prudent.'

With these competing views, it's hard to get a sharp budget one way or the other, although you could argue the former has succeeded more than the latter. Your choice this by-election could tip the balance either way.

How can we sharpen up? Although there is a lot of public debate around $20 million on a museum, there isn't any on a $25 million new library downtown. What about reducing the cost of both and combining them? Tell us at: www.goodquestion.nz or pick up a submission form at any library.