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Secretary Reynold Macpherson said the RDRR ran a "low-cost consultative and grass-roots campaign".
"The RDRR team campaign attracted 41,397 votes, although not quite enough to win power."
At the AGM it was decided to retain the current committee and to meet regularly in 2017 and 2018 with a view to offering endorsed candidates in 2019, the release said.
Treasurer Rosemary MacKenzie reported the "healthy financial state of the RDRR", with membership "well over 400 and growing steadily".
"Morale is very high. Members are determined to keep challenging the actions and decisions of the current regime."
The regular meetings would ensure effective communications, attract new members, co-ordinate RDRR's networks of volunteers, and prepare the ground for the next election, she said.
When the Rotorua Daily Post caught up with some of the RDRR members earlier this month, Mrs Searancke said the plan was to be "a true ratepayers group".
"It always concerned me when I was on council we had ratepayer groups in most of the rural communities but in the city, particularly after the abolition of the wards, there was no way we could find out exactly what the city people were thinking.
"We will be championing causes and keeping an eye on things, as far as citizens and ratepayers are concerned.
"We like to think we are representative of a good cross-section of the community, not just a particular sector," Mrs Searancke said.
Mrs MacKenzie said although the election was over there were still people joining the group.
"We may have grey hair, but we're not dead yet," she said.