As Hilltops Council adopted its Operational Plan, Revenue Policy, Fees and Charges, councillors warned the search for savings and efficiencies could ultimately affect service levels as Council works to manage ongoing financial pressure. Mayor Brian Ingram said local government areas were facing tight conditions and Hilltops needed to become smarter and more efficient in how it operated. “Like all local government areas, things are tight, and there’s deficits all around us,” Cr Ingram said. “We need to be smarter at what we do. We need to be as efficient as we can be.” Cr Ingram said Council had made changes to the budget after councillors’ first look at it, and would now work to find efficiencies. “Some people might notice a reduction in some services, but that’s part of what’s going to happen at local government at the moment until we get more funding,” Cr Ingram said. “The other option is it’s going to cost you more, and you’re not going to get any extra.” Acting General Manager Sarah Karaitiana said Council had a strong focus on financial sustainability and had started a review of operational efficiencies. “We have commenced a thorough review of our operational efficiencies and identified some cost-saving measures,” Ms Karaitiana said. “Our focus in the financial year ahead will be on reduced use of contractors and consultants and also the utilisation and management of our plant and fleet.” Ms Karaitiana said staff would continue working with councillors to identify both immediate and longer-term savings while still aiming to provide the services expected by the community. The budget discussion has sharpened a difficult question for ratepayers: how should council balance the cost of maintaining services with the pressure already being felt by households and businesses? No Special Rate Variation proposal was before Council as part of the budget adoption, but the discussion has again raised questions about how Hilltops funds the services and infrastructure residents expect. Deputy Mayor Tony Flanery also used a recent councillor column to warn Council’s current position was not sustainable long term, saying it risked “running down the value of our assets” without having the funds to replace them in the future. He said rising costs for materials, fuel and wages were affecting core Council work, including garbage collection, road maintenance and gravel cartage. Cr Flanery said cost cutting was not simple because it often meant reduced service levels, adding Council needed to focus on “efficiency and productivity gains to remain viable”. Councillor James Blackwell also used his latest councillor column to argue Council could not rely on cuts alone to solve its budget challenges. Cr Blackwell said the structural deficit in the Hilltops Council budget was not a new problem and would not change unless Council looked at “some of the fundamentals” of how it operates. “This is not a problem that started in 2026, and unless we change some of the fundamentals of how we operate, it’s unlikely to change going forward,” Cr Blackwell wrote. He said Council needed to be financially sustainable, but argued against treating local government like a for-profit business. “Government is not a business,” he wrote. Cr Blackwell pointed to roads, parks, reserves and libraries as examples of public services that delivered community value, even if they did not generate income. He acknowledged that raising rates was politically difficult, particularly during the current cost-of-living environment. “No one wants to be the one to float the idea of raising rates,” Cr Blackwell wrote. “Especially in the current cost-of-living environment. But costs for Councils are going up just as much as they are for everyone else.” He said if the community wanted Council to continue providing roads, parks, pools and libraries, revenue also needed to be part of the conversation. “If we’re truly serious about providing the best we can to the community with roads, parks, pools, and libraries, then we need to get serious about the idea of raising revenue,” Cr Blackwell wrote. “Simply slashing spending won’t cut it.” Public reaction to the discussion has shown the issue remains divisive, with concerns about household, pensioner, low-income and business impacts sitting alongside arguments that rising costs and community expectations cannot be met without adequate funding. While an increase in rates is one possible revenue option, other measures such as service reviews, operational efficiencies, grant funding, fees and charges, asset decisions or staged works also form part of Council’s budget discussions. For Hilltops ratepayers, the budget discussion leaves a central question: how should Council maintain essential services and infrastructure while managing rising costs, limited revenue and the financial pressure already being felt across the community?
