I WAS thrilled to see my letter on rating sparked some feedback, but I do need to respond to several points.
Firstly, I did not suggest our council doesn’t charge for rubbish collection because indeed we do.
The point I was trying to make was that councils don’t all supply the same levels of service, which is one of the reasons why rating bills differ between regions.
The second issue I want to reply to is that of rating transparency. I find it interesting that we pay taxes to central government without requiring an itemised invoice and yet a council rates bill provides considerable information about where your rates money is spent.
The issue as I see it is not a lack of transparency, but a reluctance on the part of some to pay for services they don’t value.
I don’t expect to pay less tax to central government because I no longer have dependants at school, but there are those who object to paying for public facilities like libraries and pools because they don’t personally use them.
I like to think of such services as adding to the overall amenity value of where I live and as such are important regardless of whether I use them or not.
There was an inference that a user pay system for things like rubbish would be fairer.
User-pay may be mathematically fairer, but in a district characterised by large pockets of deprivation, we choose to equalise some costs across all communities that benefit from an essential service so that it is affordable to all.
I am unapologetic about that because I believe that the true measure of a community is how it meets the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.
In conclusion I want to congratulate correspondent Valerie Broadbent, who reminded me that her quality of life is primarily her responsibility, not councils.
I agree and apologise if my reference to the services of council that contribute to the public good seemed over-stated. She is, of course, correct and regardless of how any council performs, personal wellbeing relies heavily on the choices we make for ourselves.
Judy Turner
Whakatane District Council
candidate