Rates - Blenheim Ward Candidates

Rate rises have been 7.97% in 2023-24, 13.62% in 2024-25 and 8.61% in 2025-26 – what would be your aim for rate levels?

John Hyndman

The projected 8.61 percent rate for 2025-26 is too high. Marlborough is a relatively low income economy and many residents are struggling to make ends meet. The 8.61 percent rate will cause genuine hardship. The current rate of inflation is 2.7 percent. The 8.61 percent can be broken down to 3.3 percent council inflation (council costs are relatively greater), 3.2 percent for asset depreciation (this is the cost of replacing assets) and 1.5 percent for repayment of the Covid Rates relief fund. The Covid component will be paid off in three years time.  The MDC is a well run, fiscally prudent organization. The government may place a rates cap on the council later this year (??5%). Should this happen, it is worth considering how the Rates reduction could be managed. The options are cutting services, finding efficiencies, borrowing and sale of assets. None of these options are particularly attractive but they may be necessary to offset the rates shortfall. I would like to see the rates under 5 percent.

Tamsin Cooper

I believe in careful, mindful spending and in keeping rates as affordable as possible. However, I would be hesitant to promise a specific rate level because councils face real challenges in funding essential services and infrastructure. Research shows that the average household already pays almost 10 times more in central government tax than in local rates, and Treasury has warned that rates are still “significantly below the level they need to be” for financial sustainability. If we cap or artificially hold rates down, we risk passing on bigger bills to the next generation through poor asset maintenance, higher debt costs due to the council’s credit ratings being downgraded, or lost opportunities. It may even cause us to have to sell off valuable council owned assets eg, the airport or Port Marlborough. My focus will be on making sure every dollar is spent wisely and advocating for fairer funding tools from central government so the burden does not fall unfairly on Marlborough ratepayers.

Dominique Greenslade

My aim for Rate levels would need to be 7 percent max.

Brian Dawson

Rates are a big challenge and the rate of increase has been too high. I would like to see rates much closer to the rate of inflation.

Ben Stace

Rampant inflation topped with multiple severe weather events have made this tricky for the previous council. I would like to see us bring any increases closer to inflation if possible. Key to this is responsible spending at all levels, not unrealistic rates caps.

Vish Prasad

Rates must stay affordable, striking a fine balance between keeping costs down and not losing vital services. Council also needs to fund some important — though not strictly essential — projects that benefit our community. Let’s be real: most people don’t mind paying an extra $50–$100 annually if it brings growth and attracts visitors, because that money comes back to us tenfold!. But the council has to get back to basics: spend smarter, cut waste, and focus on essentials like infrastructure, resilience, and community services. My aim is to keep rates as low as possible without compromising what Marlborough needs.

Buks Lundt

Rate increases are out of control, we as ratepayers will not be able to afford another increase like the one we just had. My goal is to bring rates in line with inflation and reduce debt.

Thelma Sowman

A five percent rate increase is within the accepted range in these times of economic difficulty. However, the final figure will be dependent upon what urgent tasks the council has in front of it.  We have been fortunate previously to have reserves to do some of the nice to have projects.  The same level of reserves is not currently available.

Aimee Payne

The goal is always to keep rates as low as possible while protecting the services, infrastructure, and community wellbeing Marlborough relies and thrives on. Rates have been climbing due to a number of factors, the main one being ongoing issues with extreme weather events that have damaged our infrastructure, and we know these events aren’t going to stop. At the same time, central government is asking councils to do more with less. I genuinely believe our council are doing the best they can under these circumstances, and as a ratepayer myself, I understand how these increases affect households and community wellbeing. We need to respond by safeguarding our community assets for future generations, investing in essential infrastructure for our growing population, and working as closely as we can with the government to make sure unfunded costs don’t just land on Marlborough ratepayers. We need to look at alternative revenue streams so our community gets real value without undue pressure on household budgets. Instead of arbitrary caps, the focus should be on tackling the real drivers of cost and making sure every dollar delivers for our community and its wellbeing.

Deborah Dalliessi

I think they are realistic. We need to keep talking about cutting costs and reviewing levels of service where appropriate. At the same time we must maintain our core infrastructure. The real challenge is finding the right balance between rates and further debt. Either we meet these costs now or we risk passing the burden on to the next generation.

David Croad

Firstly, I fully acknowledge that the rate pathway in recent years has been higher than anyone would have liked. But we need to look at the “why.” New Zealand has experienced the equivalent of a decade's worth of inflation in just the last three years. This inflation has affected every household and business in the country, Councils included, while much of it stems from global pandemic-related shocks, it has also been fuelled by government decisions, both here and abroad and reserve bank monetary policy that over-stimulated the economy. Inflation has hit councils differently, while many people talk about CPI, councils work with a completely different cost base, things like bitumen, concrete, steel, pipes, and associated industries, all of which have been subject to price increases in the range of 25–30% over the past three years. This has been well documented is not optional spending, it’s what is required to build bridges, maintain roads, water networks, and community infrastructure. On top of that, local government has been challenged by ongoing Central Government reforms, whether it’s Water reform, the RMA, or the constant stream of National Policy Statements and Environmental Standards. In addition we’ve also faced unprecedented weather events in 2021, 2022, and now again in 2025. The costs of recovery, particularly for river protection and the roading network have been huge and have placed additional and significant pressure on our budgets.  So where to from here…..I think we are all pleased to see inflation back within the target range, albeit just. This means the rate path is getting better and we should and will all continue to work hard to bring rates back inside the cap, as per the Council policy documented in the Long Term Plan. Whilst we are definitely over the inflationary hump we still have challenges to solve well beyond business as usual, like network infrastructure upgrades and recovery from weather events. Therefore if the documented rate path is greater than the community wants and can afford then there are some hard conversations to be had about what people are prepared to forgo.

Cathie Bell

We need to ensure that rates funding is spent as efficiently as possible, and at the same time, seek out opportunities for council to earn revenue in areas other than rates. That could be possible through things such as solar panels on CBD roofs and council facilities, for example.

Nyara Nyajena

My aim is to keep rates as low  as possible, while making sure we meet essential services and investing in long-term infrastructure. I think rate increases should reflect actual community needs, be fully justified, and come with transparency. We need to find efficiencies within Council, prioritize spending, and look closely at debt management to avoid burdening ratepayers

Cyril Dawson

My aim for rate levels would be 5 percent. Still getting money in for council projects but not burdening the ratepayer with hefty    rises.