The draft annual plan/ten year plan is coming out for your scrutiny next week.

Total proposed rate take is $72.318 million or around $1450 for the average ratepayer. A summary prepared by staff is going out to each household. Elected members had the opportunity to have a look at it and the majority were satisfied that it was an acceptable summary. Sadly, based on past experience, most end up in the bin.

Your rates bill
If you have even a passing interest in Council matters and your rates bill, you do need to have a look at where Council is at, where it's going, and what you think about it, because you are going to pay for it whatever is finally decided.

What are the options?
In my view there aren't a lot of options. Put rates up substantially?
Audit NZ said that North Shore City, a similar sized council, has an average rates bill of $501 more than Tauranga – so that's an option? Or we could cut back on non-essential services? This could mean no Mount Hot Pools redevelopment.
Whilst this is not intended to be ratepayer funded, borrowing $8 million or so impacts on Council's total debt limit set by credit rating agency Standard and Poors. No Indoor Sports and Exhibition Centre - $25 million ratepayer contribution, around $50 each a year.
Already we've suggested no new Greerton Library at $8 million or so, plus increased operational expenditure - around $15 a year each ratepayer.
The Strand to Memorial Walkway has been dropped at $10.5 million, two new carpark buildings total $27 million. And our suggested cuts go across the whole financial range down to eliminating $3000 worth of community facilities signage.
This year the plan suggests a rates revenue increase of 9.1% total or an average of $72 each ratepayer total.
What do you think about that? Do we look at our sacred cows?
Libraries presently cost more than $7 million or around $145 average per ratepayer. Baycourt around $1.5 million or $30 average per ratepayer. Aquatic activities about the same. A whopping $13.5 million on open spaces. Do we reduce mowing/maintenance here? And so on. Roads/transport $13 million, do we reduce road maintenance? But then we lose Government subsidy and end up with an unusable network! Water supply $14 million – not much savings you can make here – like being pregnant, you either have it or you don't.

Awaiting your response
Elected members are genuinely awaiting your reaction and response in detail to this proposal.
Your input could be a watershed for the future Council infrastructure direction.
If you can't, won't, or don't put up a submission, what about a brief email to elected members (whose email addresses are listed in the draft summary) indicating your preference for increased rates or cutting of services?
At least that gives us a direction to head for and then we can work out what goes in or out at each future annual plan.
Work is going on behind the scenes with Central Government to try and get them to underwrite/guarantee more than $200 million borrowings needed to fund the Southern Pipeline and Waiari Water Supply projects.
This will relieve the debt envelope problem but not the rates versus services problem.

EBOP and your wallet
On other fronts Environment Bay of Plenty, the regional council, has bought Regency House at the eastern end of Elizabeth St where the IRD is presently situated. One monopoly replacing another.
It's to house the 50 Tauranga EBOP staff. At present! $10.5 million of your money and touted as a good buy! EBOP gets by with massive financial input from Quayside, their arms-length investment wing, that holds big shareholdings in the Port Company that heavily subsidises their rate demands on you by about half and helps keep them off your rates radar screen.
I've long criticised the existence of regional councils. In my opinion their environmental activities could be undertaken by local councils. And the huge profits generated by the Port could be ploughed back into local infrastructure – in our case roading, as an example.

TECT back on radar
TECT All Terrain Park at the top of Pyes Pa Road is back on our radar, with user groups agitating for access. Justifiably in my opinion.
The joint committee is to move things along and if it's not in pristine condition with hot and cold running water then that's too bad.
It's there to be used, not admired by passers by. Huharua Park at the end of Plummers Point Road at Te Puna is progressing well. All the kiwifruit is gone and if you're looking for a Sunday drive destination it's well worth the trip.

Magnificent instrument
My wife and I were invited to a preliminary recital of the new Steinway piano at Baycourt.
Costing more than $250,000, it's a magnificent instrument. Money was raised by arts/music supporters in the Western Bay area.
This is the true community spirit coming through and is all the more valued because of this. Well done to all concerned.