Monday, June 18, 2007

A black hole

With a depressing sense of deja vu I read this headline yet again;

Local Authority Expenditure Rises

It never drops. Here are the figures for 2001 - 2006

Total revenue excluding non-operating and extraordinary items

3,838.9 million
4,140.1
4,251.8
4,626.0
4,996.1
5,367.4


A massive FORTY PERCENT increase, with most of the revenue coming from rates equating to $734 for each and every New Zealander.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

And we can expect new vluations in the near future, so all our rates will rise again. Local bodies are the major beneficiaries of the rising house market.

I still cannot get my rubbish collected unless I put it in a black bag that costs about $2.00 at the supermarket. Of course, I have noticed that rubbish put out in Naenae gets collected no matter what sort of bag it is in.

Brian Smaller

Lindsay Mitchell said...

It's good of you to subsidise them Brian (again).

Anonymous said...

I was thinking of just taking my rubbish around the corner and leaving in Seddon Street.

Brian Smaller

Rick said...

What ever happend to Rodney's bill? Defeated and gone?

Anonymous said...

In theory, the annual L/A expenditure is voted on and decided annually.

The City revaluations every 3-5 years are merely the means to divide up the "take" from ratepayers according to their relative Capital Valuations.

As to the rising house price market, they will fall back again as they have in the US. Again, in theory, interest rates should then also fall back!

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Rick, defeated. That's to Winston First.

Anonymous said...

Hi Barry

Trouble is that the RVs are currently way lower than the market valuations in general. Even if house prices fall back, the RVs will still be the same and may even go higher despite falling prices. That means rates will go up on depreciating properties.

Brian Smaller

Anonymous said...

I am talking of Rates, as opposed to interest rates.

Brian Smaller

Rick said...

Son of a bitch.