"There is no other growth council in New Zealand that has such a low rates base and our rates base is just too low."
"On top of that we have not been maintaining our assets properly either because we have not had the income."
"The rates base has to come up to a level where we can maintain the city properly."
Mayor King has stressed the city can no longer continue to run on a shortfall. He said that too many amenities and crucial pieces of infrastructure - such as the CBD library – have been suffering because of the shortfall.
"Eventually we are going to have no debt capacity left and we are going to be paying a whole lot of interest on our credit card."
"The average house is going to be paying a dollar more a day, but it is catch up time."
The proposed $10 entry fee to the themed gardens at Hamilton Gardens for non residents of Hamilton has also caused confusion and criticism.
Mayor King said that anyone who lives in Hamilton City boundaries will not have to pay the entry fee. Anyone under 18 years of age will be free.
The plan is to use the electoral roll to identify those who are out of towners, but those who are on the confidential special electoral roll will have to bring identification, such as a power bill.
Turning city around
Waikato ratepayers outside Hamilton will have to pay the fee.
Official Friends of Hamilton Gardens, who pay a $35 membership fee, will not have to pay an entry fee, no matter where they live.
"If you really have a passion for those gardens you should be a friend," Mayor King says.
Another of Mayor King's recommendation is turning the city around to face the river. The plan involves buying a small group of buildings and demolishing them to open up space to create a central park which will cost Hamilton $13 million.
"The city had the chance to do this decades ago when Garden Place ran right through to the river and we ended up demolishing a building down there and building the BNZ building there which stopped that connection to the river."
"We have another chance to do that now. It is $13 million but it is capital so all that is being paid of that is 5 per cent interest. This is about turning our city around and having a financial plan to go with it."
The public through social media has been mostly negative about the idea of a central park and about redesigning Garden Place. The redesign of Garden Place would cost council roughly $3 million.
Mr King said that businesses are proposing to put $1 million towards the redevelopment on top of council's $3 million.
"At the moment I find it an embarrassment and I challenge people to come down here twice a day, once after dark and once during the day and see if they still feel the same way about it."
The Garden Place proposal includes carparks and roads on either side of the central area.
"People will come through in the safety of their cars and they will see it is not as bad as they think."
Mayor King said he cannot ensure what future mayors will do with the central CBD library but under his council they will get it open to the public again.
The 10 Year Plan will go out to public consultation next year in March, but council will hold several information sessions during the first couple of months in 2018 to explain the 10 Year Plan in depth.
The plan will go into effect in June 2018 after public consultation and further council debate.
