HAMLIN Robert - Candidate profile
Affiliation: Independent
My principal place of residence is in the Dunedin City Council area.
In 2002, my rates were just over $1,000, the City’s infrastructure was in fair condition and the municipal debt was under a hundred million dollars. Today, the rates on that same house are nearly $4,000, the City’s infrastructure is in a state of disrepair (ageing), and the municipal guaranteed debt is approaching 1.5 billion dollars. The current plans and forecasts indicate that rates and debt will double over the next decade. Bringing the DCC’s rates demands to nearly half of the single person’s state pension.
My objective as a Councillor is thus simple - to stop this from happening. This means not spending money on things that we don’t need, and ensuring that we get proper value for the things that we do. As one person’s rates demand is another’s profit, this will not be an easy or a pleasant process, but I am determined to take on the challenge.