Call to arms !

I have an urgent message for the Taupo District Community.

We are facing a financial raid on our district, and I am drawing a line in the sand. I need all of our district to be aware of what is happening. Please spread this message across our community.

Under the Government's Head Start rules, a grouping of other councils is attempting a hostile move to pull us into a Western Waikato Unitary Authority. Make no mistake, they are coming after us to leverage our financial strength.

The financial modelling is clear, and it is terrifying for ratepayers: if we get dragged into this arrangement, our district's debt will skyrocket from approximately $900 per rating unit to nearly $9,000.

I firmly oppose this. We will not allow the Taupo District to be dragged into an amalgamation with South Waikato, Waipa, and Waikato District Councils and used as a cash cow to bail out their regions. We are deeply disappointed that other councils are using our stronger financial position to bail themselves out.

We refuse to let anyone dictate our financial destiny or trash our local economy. Our councillors meet on Thursday, August 6 to formalize our response to Government, and we are fighting tooth and nail to protect our much better financial position than these other councils, in an effortto reduce rate increases

If you are as angry about this potential debt bomb as I am, make your voice heard. Email us directly at info@taupo.govt.nz before this Thursday so we can lay your views straight on the council table.

Additionally I urge you to send a message straight to Minister Chris Bishop, your local MP Louise Upston MP and Minister Simon Watts and make your views known, amalgamation is not a tool to foist your debt onto well-managed councils and their ratepayers.