Revenge of the Ratepayers: Mayors Who Hiked Rates Punished at the Ballot Box

Analysis of the 2025 preliminary local election results shows a clear pattern that mayors who treated ratepayers like an ATM have been thrown out of office, while those who showed fiscal restraint have been rewarded.

Across the country, voters have sent a simple message: stop hiking rates.

Of the ten councils with the highest annual rates increases (12.6 percent and above), only one mayor was re-elected - in Grey District. Among the top 20 highest increases (9.9 percent and above), just five mayors kept their jobs.

In contrast, of the ten councils with the smallest rate hikes (5.8 percent and below), seven mayors were re-elected. Among the bottom 20, 13 mayors retained office.

Looking over the past three years, the same pattern holds: councils that delivered cumulative increases of 40 percent or more were punished, while those that kept costs under control were rewarded by voters.

“This is the revenge of the ratepayers,” says Jordan Williams, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. “Communities across New Zealand have sent a message loud and clear — stop using ratepayers as a money tree. Mayors who ignored that message are now out of a job.”

The data shows that fiscal discipline pays off politically. Mayors who respected household budgets and resisted runaway spending were re-elected in large numbers, while those who presided over record hikes and bloated bureaucracies were shown the door.

“This election proves what we’ve said all along: there’s no mandate for endless rate hikes. Councils must start living within their means.”