Community boards will remain “crucially important” if districtisation goes ahead.

That was the message Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan presented at yesterday’s Maniototo Community Board meeting after members noted there had been a lot of talk on the matter across the district.

Mayor Tim’s comments came ahead of a districtisation meeting in Ranfurly last night, the first in a series being hosted throughout the district by the Central Otago District Council.

The meetings call for feedback on setting a district-wide approach for funding and decision-making (districtisation) for the majority of services regardless of which ward they live in.

At the moment, 82 per cent of rates for water, roading and waste, are collected at a district level, and 18 per cent of rates for property, parks, cemeteries, pools and community grants (except museums) are collected at a ward level.

The community is being asked whether a district-wide approach should be adopted so that charges for services will be the same in each of the wards i.e., Vincent, Cromwell, Maniototo and Teviot Valley.

Mayor Tim said one potential downside if districtisation was to go ahead, was people thinking there was no point being on the community board because “they don’t do anything, which is 100 per cent wrong”. 

“I know, as mayor, I’ve tried really hard for eight years to get around as much as I can, but I still don’t know people in this community like you guys do and I never will - it’s impossible.”

He said it was important to have a community voice, like that of the Maniototo Community Board represented at the council table “telling us what’s what”.

Without that representation, the district would be “much weaker”, he said.

“So, the boards are still crucially important if districtisation happened. It’s just their functions are going to change a bit. I still think when it comes down to it, the boards are going to have, not a determinative voice, but they are going to have an incredibly loud voice of what happens in the future.”

There are three options for the community to consider:

Option 1: Full districtisation of property, parks, cemeteries, pools and museums – every ward pays an equal share.

Option 2: Districtise property, parks, cemeteries, pools and museums but include a rating adjustment for the Teviot Valley ward to offset pool charges (as the ward does not have a council-run pool).

Option 3: Status quo, no change. Property, parks, cemeteries, pools and museums continue to be funded by ward rates.

Public sessions will be held throughout August, which will begin with a brief presentation, followed by the opportunity to ask questions. 

The next public sessions will be held at the following times and locations:

Teviot Valley: Monday, August 12, 7pm-8pm at the Memorial Hall in Roxburgh.

Alexandra and surrounds: Wednesday, August 14, 7pm-8pm at the Memorial Hall, Skird St, Alexandra.

Cromwell and surrounds: Monday, August 19, 7pm-8pm at the Presbyterian Church, Cromwell.

Districtwide: Tuesday, August 27, 7pm-8pm online.