Laughter at a meeting prompted apologies from the Grey Mayor. Photo: Ratepayers of Grey District faced an average rates rise of 13 percent. Photo: LDR
A Greymouth election candidate has called out Grey District Councillors for laughing at a meeting, when they were asked about pushback over recent rate increases.
Terry Donaldson, who's running for council in the southern ward, posted about his concerns on social media after watching Monday's council meeting online.
"What I witnessed left me deeply concerned - not just as a candidate but as a ratepayer," he said.
"A councillor asked if there'd been any pushback regarding the proposed rate increases. The answer was yes. What followed, however, was deeply troubling: several councillors and staff laughed."
That was unacceptable and disrespectful to ratepayers, and the Mayor or chief executive should have set the tone, Donaldson said.
"I thought, God, did I really just hear that?" he told LDR.
"It had been a moment to acknowledge the genuine hardship the rate increases were causing," he posted.
"Many residents have expressed distress … to respond with laughter is not only insensitive, it's appalling."
Frontline council staff were bearing the brunt of reaction to the council's 13 percent rate increase, Donaldson said.
The post brought a swift reaction from Cr Kate Kennedy, who said it had been 'nervous' laughter.
"I apologise on behalf of myself and my team if it came across poorly… it was like a OMG, have we ever' release moment, but there's nothing funny about any of it and of course we know that."
Other commentators said the council had a 'dreadful attitude' and dismissed submissions.
"People voice their opinions and they are ridiculed and ignored!" one critic said.
Donaldson said he had had a number of calls from people about his post - including one from Mayor Tania Gibson, who had also apologised.
Mayor Tania Gibson. Photo: Supplied
"I appreciate that and good on Cr Kennedy for responding, but ratepayers are right to be upset. We're facing three years of double-digit rate increases… [and] water charges are set to add at least $2000 to the rate bills. "
"It's all right for people like me who still have well-paid jobs, but I've got two neighbours who are pensioners and they're being hit with the same rates as me about $5300 - and they just can't afford it."
While the average increase was around 13 percent, a number of people were facing increases closer to 30 percent, Donaldson said.
Grey District mayor Tania Gibson Mayor told LDR this morning that she had spoken after the meeting to councillors who had laughed.
"They were not laughing about ratepayers - it was the irony of being asked if there had been pushback over the rates. But the optics were awful; there are no excuses and I apologise on their behalf.
"We know people are suffering out there - we all have parents and friends who are doing it tough. But anyone who comes into council is going to find themselves in the same spot, faced with the same hard decisions. "
The next council and others around the country would have to address the impossibility of continuing to increase rates to fund local government, Gibson said.
A Grey District ratepayers group was set up this week by Kaiata man Graeme Axford in response to anger over soaring rates.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
