Council: true cost of mayor's budget plan unknown

The Herald has been asking council and mayoral staff for details of the combined rates rise and levy, but today a council spokeswoman said "at this stage we don't have this data" Photo / Jason Oxenham

The Auckland Council does not know the true cost to ratepayers of Mayor Len Brown's latest budget plan.

Mr Brown announced a special "transport levy" on top of an overall rates increase of 2.5 per cent, which is down from the previous figure of 3.5 per cent.

The levy is $99 for households and $159 for businesses.

The Herald has been asking council and mayoral staff for details of the combined rates rise and levy.

Staff said details would be available late yesterday, but today a council spokeswoman said "at this stage we don't have this data".

"We will have further details early next week on how the proposed rates increases and transport levy will affect different groups and are happy to update you as soon as this is available," the spokeswoman said.

The Herald asked the mayoral office if Mr Brown knew what the impact of the general rate and levy would be on different ratepayers groups when he introduced the latest budget plan yesterday. His office has not responded.

Labour councillor Ross Clow has calculated the combined impact at about $200 on an average household rates bill of $3000, or a 6.5 per cent rates rise.

Meanwhile, Mr Brown snapped at a journalist yesterday for suggesting his "transport levy" was a rates rise.

"No, it's a transport levy," Mr Brown said.

Mr Brown is at odds with some councillors who have called the levy a rates rise, and senior finance officers who refer to the levy as a "transport targeted rate" in the mayor's own budget papers.

The Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 says there are eight kinds of rates that councils can set and rates assessments must set out the amount and a description of each rate.
Mr Brown has not said what legal power he has to impose a levy.