Tauranga Council axes mobile library

The mobile library service faces the chop.

Tauranga's mobile library service will be axed and parking wardens sent to patrol outer suburbs as the city seeks to keep rates down.

The proposed rates increase currently sits at 8.3 per cent, but at yesterday's city council meeting councillors asked staff to try and find more savings - including removing a $1.5 million debt retirement fund, which would shave off another 1.3 per cent from the final figure.

Most councillors are pushing for a 2 per cent rates hike plus the 4.7 per cent storm water levy, which would see ratepayers hit with a total 6.7 per cent increase.

The levy would raise about $5 million each year, which would go towards solving some of the city's flooding woes, but it divided councillors yesterday, slipping through on to the draft annual plan by just one vote.

After weeks of closed-door discussion, the council revealed plans to raise more money and cut spending (see factbox). The changes and rates increase are not final and will go out for community consultation next month, with many councillors yesterday admitting the budget would "not be popular".

Mayor Stuart Crosby told councillors that he had "deep concerns" about a number of the cuts and questioned if they would lead to long-term legacy problems. "I think we should be going out with a steady-as-she-goes budget based on rates and debt cap," he said.

"I feel we are trying to find capacity for the 4.7 per cent levy, which in my view should be in the 10 Year Plan. Some of these cuts will impact on the look and feel of our city.

"I have deep concerns about mowing reserves, for example. We are doubling the mobile shops licence and increasing parking fines, all to find room for the stormwater levy."

Cr Rick Curach said although the new council was focused on debt reduction, it also had to be socially responsible. "I do support the $5 million stormwater levy," he said. "But we will go out to consultation on this and hear from the community if they are willing to help their neighbours. I think they will be."

Cr Steve Morris said the council needed to be "bold" and show ratepayers what "financial discipline looked like".

"This will not be a popular budget, it will not please many people, but then people are not happy with the fact that rates have risen four times the rate of incomes in Tauranga since the last Census, so it is time for change. The patient is ill and, yes, the medicine is unpleasant but the patient needs it. This is what financial discipline looks like."

Cr Matt Cowley said councillors had made some tough decisions and they opted to cut the mobile library service rather than closing all the inner-city libraries on weekends. "Only 2.7 per cent of the total library issue comes through the mobile library service. We think we can get better bang for our buck."