West Coast retirees question ‘too high’ council tax bill

A Hokitika pensioner is launching a personal strike to protest the huge pension she is being asked to pay into the West Coast Regional Council (WCRC).

Liz Whiteside, 71, has written to all seven area councillors and chief executive Darryl Lew, slamming them for their excessive rates bills.

Whiteside said she stopped paying WCRC’s electricity bills three years ago when they increased by 30 percent.

“You all should be ashamed of yourself for imposing horrific hikes on taxpayers,” she wrote.

The average increase this year is 27%. She said this would make it more difficult for pensioners to afford regional rates.

“I am an elderly retiree approaching the end of my life who has worked hard despite having a permanent disability and I do not agree to waste money on services I am not receiving.”

Pensioners living alone receive about $1,000 a fortnight.

Whiteside said she currently pays $125 every two weeks in grey area property taxes, which have increased 18 per cent this year.

“That alone takes up a good portion of my two weeks pension. But I don’t mind paying it because I get services like water and sewage from the district council.”

On the other hand, she said the district council did not provide any services that she found useful or relevant to her property.

Mr Whiteside claimed the council built a flood wall along the Hokitika River to future-proof the area but it was somehow unnecessary.

“I’ve lived on this land for 44 years and the highest I’ve ever seen the river water was when it came into the gravel pits … it’s never been above that.”

Whiteside said the river would have to rise another four metres before surrounding homes were endangered.

Ms Whiteside said the council had referred her rates arrears to debt collection and she had received a letter demanding payment, but she refused to open the envelope.

“I have no doubt that the amount now displayed is $1,194.12 … I do not have that money and cannot pay it.”

She said she had offered to give the council $20 every two weeks for three years, which was all she could afford.

Ms Whiteside said she would resist any attempt by the council to sell her property to pay off the debt.

“I will never be forced to leave my home.”

Regional council chairman Peter Haddock said he had called Whiteside after hearing of her concerns.

“We don’t want to displace people – we have a hardship policy in place and if they can’t pay their rent they need to contact our rent team and we can work out a payment plan they can afford.”

He didn’t expect Whiteside’s property tax bill to go up 27 percent because she is not in a special taxing district where landowners pay for flood control projects.

“I think her repayments are likely to increase by around 15 per cent and I have put her in touch with the right people at the council to help her put together a repayment plan she can afford.”

Councillor Allan Birchfield, who lodged a complaint about pensioner rates with LDR, said many west coast pensioners would be in the same position.

“People are having a very hard time, especially the elderly – they can’t afford the fees and they don’t know what they’re getting for their money.”

Burchfield said the commission had become a sprawling monster with more than 80 staff members.

“A lot of people make over $100,000 — all that money goes here,” Burchfield said.

Haddock said the council had been forced to use contractors in recent years but under the new chief executive they had been able to recruit staff to fill long-term vacancies.

The regional council must borrow and tax to pay for the multi-million dollar cost of the new Te Tai o Poutini regional plan on the Coast – a mandate given by the Local Government Commission.

It also borrowed money to pay for river projects and flood control schemes, but landowners in special rating areas along the coast would repay the loans in installments through additional tax rates.

LDR is a local news organisation jointly funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.