Several councilors at today’s meeting argued that the increase, along with a substantial capital program, allowed for necessary and important work to be done.
Senior deputy Christine Garey said the council should be proud of the decisions it has made.
Cr Mike Lord said that people often told the council that they wanted to get holes in the holes repaired and that the facilities had to be in order.
That came at a price and Cr Lord was encouraged by the progress planned to get the planned work done.
Cr David Benson-Pope said there was a lot of development activity happening all over the city, including from the private sector.
“Dunedin is transforming itself before our eyes,” said Cr Benson-Pope.
Crs Lee Vandervis and Carmen Houlahan voted against the approval of the annual plan by the council.
Cr Vandervis said there was an expense to fix things that didn’t need to be repaired. He cited the George St makeover and the development of bike paths as examples.
Unprecedented expenditures occurred at a time when the world was unstable, he said.
Cr Houlahan said a 5% rate hike would be “sufficient” and she would rather lower rates than raise them.
Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins said a rate cut would create a funding gap of about $11 million or $12 million and result in cuts in service levels or rate increases at facilities such as libraries and Moana Pool.
The council can’t lower rates without reducing community service, he said.
Cr Houlahan raised several points of order during the day – none were accepted – and Mr Hawkins suggested that she read the standing orders to increase her understanding of the meeting protocol.
Motifs were sometimes used for trivial reasons, he said.
Voting against approving the annual plan amounted to “virtue signaling,” he said.
Cr Chris Staynes described rhetoric about austerity as naive. The city would decline if investment in it were inadequate, he said.
Cr Andrew Whiley said delaying spending would cause “headaches down the road”.
Cr Jules Radich said the council’s ten-year plan budget was set “in more lavish times” last year.
Since then, a cost of living crisis had emerged, and the world was likely facing a recession, he said.
In what appeared to be a reference to him contesting mayor this year, Cr Radich said a change of mind from the council would be needed next year.
Cr Rachel Elder said she was pleased with the playground spending, as well as progress on a planned path between Mosgiel and Dunedin.