Can’t afford to pay your rates? Boy, do HCC have a deal for you!

Even though they’re already $1 Billion in debt, they just decided to borrow another $500,000 to go towards development costs for a Ratepayer Assistance Scheme (RAS).

You might think that $500,000 sounds like a lot for a business case? Well, actually it costs $2.5 million (HCC are pitching in with some other Councils) and the actual establishment costs will be another $30 million.

So, what is the RAS, anyway? It’s got the word “Assistance” in it so it must be good, right?

The RAS will “assist” ratepayers

to pay their rates by loaning them money to pay them – using their homes as collateral. How helpful! Council sets your rates, then loans you the money (on which the RAS will charge you interest) to pay them, and if you still owe that money when you die, well the debt is secured against your home so they can just take it from your estate.

Who have these types of schemes targeted when implemented overseas? According to the HCC Chief Financial Officer – usually old age pensioners.

I grew up in Fairfield and I remember the clothing trucks that used to always be on our street. They were predators that targeted the poor. They’d sell clothing and basic necessities like bread and milk at massively inflated prices to those who couldn’t afford it. But guess what? That was OK because they would loan you the money to pay for your purchases (and make more money off the interest).

It’s hard to see how the RAS is any different from those Clothing trucks. Council sets rates that the poor (particularly pensioners and first-home buyers) can’t afford and then “assists” you to pay them through interest bearing loans, secured against your home.

This all sounds so crazy that, if I was reading this, I’d think, “she must be making this up!” I understand why you would think that but this is exactly what was decided at the HCC Finance and Monitoring meeting on 24th June 2025.

Deputy Mayor O’Leary, and Councillors van Oosten, Casey-Cox, Thomson, Hutt and Tauariki all voted in support of borrowing $500,000 to contribute towards the cost of developing the scheme (Councillors Bydder, Pike, Taylor, Wilson and Huata voted against). You can watch it here (starts around the 1 hour mark): https://youtu.be/tSpekV7SM9k

Rather than looking at ways to reduce spending (like not borrowing half a million dollars for a scheme we could access without paying for its development) and rates, the majority of our current elected members would rather put the burden on you and profit from those least able to afford it.

I am opposed to creating a Council “clothing truck” and am in favour of managing the City’s finances responsibly so that people don’t have to mortgage their house just to pay their rates.

Vote for change – Vote HENDERSON for the East Ward

Authorised by Horiana Henderson,

Contact: horianahenderson@gmail.com