The Wanganui District Council has finally put its 2014-15 Annual Plan to bed, leaving ratepayers with an average 4.9 per cent rate increase.
The sign off was unanimous when council met yesterday but there were some around the table dissatisfied with the lack of prominence given to economic development for the district.
Councillor Rob Vinsen said the importance of Whanganui and Partners deserved a greater explanation but its role had been glossed over "in a few sentences".
"The words mentioned in our Plan are nothing more than a cut and paste of previous years," Mr Vinsen said.
"A number of business people in the city made submissions and I know they will have some concerns when they see this topic wrapped up in three or four sentences."
He said Whanganui and Partners was an exciting plan and would be a key part in the district's economic progress (Whanganui and Partners would focus on three key areas - tourism, business and education).
Mayor Annette Main agreed, saying it needed a much greater explanation and that would happen with the final document.
Mr Vinsen said the work put in by chief executive Kevin Ross and his deputy Julian Harkness had to be acknowledged, especially with their work in reducing the "business as usual" costs in the plan.
"They've reduced those costs for the second year running and our council staff have borne the brunt of that. But we're at rock bottom when it comes to running this community."
He said if council had not been faced with problems at its wastewater treatment plant it would have been "a vastly different Annual Plan".
Councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan said while she would support the plan, the average rate hike of 4.9 per cent was still too high and unaffordable for many in the community, especially those on fixed incomes.
Councillor Hamish McDouall said the nil or very small rate increases (during the Michael Laws mayoralty) "have come back to bite us" and this year's average rate rise was the reality of having to catch up.
Councillor Martin Visser said he was not "altogether happy" with what spending had been allocated for economic development.
"We were asked to be bold but I don't think we have been," he said.
Councillor Jenny Duncan said it was easier for council to look at emotive issues such as the bird aviary and Wakefield St bridge "but when we get to economic development we tend to back off".
"Economic development is not the magic bullet but it's a key part of the mix and I'd like to see more work in that area," she said.