Fees and charges - have your say
It’s that time of year when we want your feedback on our proposed fees and charges for the next financial year.
Every year we review what we charge for the services we deliver. The way we set our fees and charges is guided by our revenue and financing policy which sets out the amount of rates funding required for each activity and how much money we need to collect from those directly receiving the benefit in fees or charges.
We are required to consult with our community on fees and charges for our regulatory services, water supplies, trade waste and solid waste and parks and reserves, but we are also seeking feedback on some other proposed changes, including small increases to the entry charges for our pools.
A full list of our proposed fees and charges are available here. You can have your say until May 10 online, by calling into your nearest council office or by posting your submission to Fees and Charges Consultation, Taupō District Council, Private Bag 2005, Taupō 3352.
Find out more and have your say.
ARE YOU A DOG OWNER?
Last year we removed the ‘rural dog other’ category from our animal management fees and that resulted in an increase in registration fees for those affected from $30 to $95. Following concerns about the size of the increase, the fee was reduced to $65. We also broadened the working dog category to include all dogs used for a working purpose like breeders and pest control.
This year we are proposing to increase working dog registration fees from $30 to $32. We are also proposing to broaden the Responsible Owner criteria to enable more rural dog owners to apply for ‘Responsible Owner’ status which qualifies for the reduced fee of $65. For those who do not already hold that status, there would be a one-off application fee of $32 to cover administration costs and, if necessary, a property inspection fee.
The intention is that more rural dog owners with non-working dogs can have access to a reduced registration fee, and that “good” dog owners, whether in the urban or rural environment, will pay less going forward.