Assurance over council budget savings

The Mayor has moved to correct any confusion about the budget and rates setting process for the coming year.

Len Brown has expressed his determination to keep average rates increases below four per cent in the 2013/14 financial year.

As a result, the Chief Executive has asked the entire Auckland Council group, including council controlled organisations to propose potential savings and efficiencies of three per cent.

The Mayor says this will enable councillors to consider how best to achieve average rates increases of less than four per cent.

"We need to find ways of reducing rates increases. Paying the bills is tough enough for Auckland families. However the need to keep rates increases low needs to be balanced with continued investment in public services and I am not going to be closing libraries down," says the Mayor.

"Officers have put up a range of rate reduction options but we haven't gone through any of them yet. My approach is to find a balance between savings and investment in the services our communities depend on.

"That is what I'll be proposing in the budget and I am confident that through reprioritisation and working more efficiently we can deliver low rates increases."

Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan includes savings and efficiencies of $1.7 billion during the next 10 years. The next draft Annual Plan will be considered by council in November and will be followed by public consultation before being adopted next year.