Hi Friend,

* PLEASE READ CAREFULLY *

I'm Sam—the local government campaigns manager here at the Taxpayers' Union. 

Councils around the country are cooked! Out of control and spending like drunken sailors. Making them more accountable is a hill we'll die fighting on.

From exposing beach stairs costing ratepayers $263,000 (more than $8,000 per step), to calling "BS" on Hastings Council for literally appointing school children as voting (and paid) members of Council committees—not much shocks me anymore.

So, forgive me for cutting to the chase, as time isn't our friend. We've hit a major roadblock in the fight to hold councils to account, and ask for your support.

Here's how they're SCREWING you 🫵

More than any other cost-of-living issue, council rates are cited as the cause of the most pain by our supporters.

Last year, councils increased rates by 15 percent on average. In some places, WAY higher, and well above inflation and salary growth.

That's why last year we worked on policy with then-Local Government Minister, Simeon Brown, who was dead-set on whipping councils into shape.

With some persistence, we made sure rates capping was at the top of the list for upcoming reforms: laws to cap how much Councils can hike your rates. These laws exist in the UK and Australia.

A simple solution: rates capping will tie future increases to a yard-stick, like inflation (say, no higher than 3 percent), and require councils to live within their means and prioritise only essential spending. Sounds reasonable, right?

Well, with Simeon Brown moved into the Health portfolio, Simon Watts is now in charge of Local Government.

For months, I've been trying to get a meeting with him. But like he did with Federated Farmers (Watts is also Climate Change Minister) the phone is off the hook. 

I'm sad to report that there is no longer a commitment to rates capping. And his public comments are all over the place.

In February, he was poo-pooing the idea in the media, and this week he's hedging his bets.

Meanwhile, the dozens of well paid (RATEPAYER FUNDED!) lobbyists at Local Government New Zealand are scrambling to kibosh Simeon Brown's plan to cap rates.

Make no mistake , LGNZ serve the council bosses and bureaucrats, not ratepayers.

Who will win? LGNZ, or you and me (the ratepayer!) ✊

Friend, we were so close to getting rates capping over the line—to finally put a stop to outrageous rates increases to fund more bad spending. With Watts in charge, it's now all at risk.

But I need your support. Please take 30 seconds to email Simon Watts to demand that he commit to rates capping.

Watts Simon's deal with us? 😶‍🌫️

Let me be clear: Simon Watts doesn't like the Taxpayers' Union, and he doesn't like supporters, like you, demanding bold policy.

He refused to meet with us on the IRD data breach issue (as Minister of Revenue), he refused to meet with us and the Fed Famers on the Paris Accord (as Climate Change Minister), and refused to meet with us on Local Government. The best we've managed was a chat Jordan got with a couple of Watts' staff (and that was because the PM's office arranged it!).

But according to Watts' Diary, the first day Watts was in the office as Local Government Minister, he was literally joining LGNZ lobbyists for a steak dinner at one of Wellington's most swanky restaurants.

Make no mistake, LGNZ is a powerful pro-council lobby group paid millions (with your rates) to stop policies like rates capping.

As the largest ratepayer organisation in the country, we'd love to take the Minister for a meal to lobby him. I'd pay for the dinner myself!

On this issue, Watts has to choose a side: will he stand with the big-spending council bosses, or will he stand with you and me, ?

Demand commitment, keep rates capping alive  📩

Until Councils are made to pull their heads in, your rates will keep being hiked higher to fund nonsense. Simeon was ready to do this with rates capping – we need to get Simon Watts to make the same commitment. 

At the local government conference last year, the Prime Minister told Councils that the 'cost-plus' model of all you can eat at the ratepayers' expense was over. He gets it. Does the new Minister?

Join us and demand commitment, or continue seeing the same bad behaviour from your local council.

LGNZ can lobby, wine and dine, but we have people power. Please take 30 seconds to email Simon Watts (copying in Christopher Luxon) using our tool.

Tell Mr Watts how exorbitant council rates are affecting you and your family, and why they should be capped.

📩 ASK SIMON WATTS AND THE PM TO COMMIT TO RATES CAPPING 📩

Thanks for stepping up, .

Sam Warren    Local Government Campaigns Manager    New Zealand Taxpayers' Union

Ps. Like I said, time isn't our friend. Local elections are just months away, and Watts is expected to take recommendations to Cabinet "any day now". We can't wait around.

Pps. Rates capping forces Councils to live within their means—which is completely reasonable. If you think that's fair, let's do this together and get rates capping over the line.