Think what you may about Auckland Council, they fund an incredible number of great initiatives, facilities and maintenance in our Valley. Auckland Council’s Annual Budget is currently out for consultation and it’s difficult reading; it proposes that budgets be slashed to solve the funding shortfall. Cut, Reduce, Defer. Franklin Local Board alone has been tasked with finding nearly $800,000 worth of savings.
Of course there are other ways around the problem, like increasing rates (did you know that our neighbours in Waikato pay higher rates than we do in Franklin?).
You’re being asked for your feedback in a very meaningful way. Help our Local Board prioritise where to cut, reduce and defer by telling them what your priorities are. If you’d prefer to see rates increase to avoid so many cuts, tell them.
The Clevedon CBA will be submitting and we encourage all our members and neighbours to do so too. We’ll be asking the FLB to keep funding the maintenance of our local facilities, for funding to reinstate local Civil Defence Plans, for budget to investigate what a targeted rate for trails across Franklin might look like, and to give Boards more decision making power about Council-owned property within their local area (regardless of their ‘serviced’ or ‘non-serviced’ status).
Please take the time to submit before Tuesday 28 March.
(And if you don’t submit, please don’t complain when reduced levels of service start to bite).
