Taxpayers’ Union launches the Ratepayer Protection Pledge

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has today launched the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, 14 days before voting opens for local body elections.

Every candidate standing mayor and council has been asked for their commitment to ratepayers over three key issues;

1.) Oppose any measures that will see the total burden of rates, levies and additional council charges exceed the level of inflation and population growth, 

2.) Support initiatives that will improve transparency of council expenditure, including the public disclosure of all expenditure items (known as 'armchair audit' and 'open data')

3.) Oppose unelected appointments onto council committees with spending and regulatory powers.

Taxpayers’ Union Local Government Campaigns Manager, Sam Warren, said:

“Councils are only as good as the people we elect to sit on them. Often we don’t know where they stand on important issues. The Ratepayer Protection Pledge draws a line in the sand to highlight which candidates are standing with ratepayers this year.”

“Every name added to the pledge will be published online, so voters can make an informed decision on who best represents them, and who chooses to coast through another term of higher rates and less transparency.”

“Councils today are in bad shape. We need good candidates to make a stand. They have until Monday 1 September to add their names and show us how seriously they will take the growing call for change in local government.”