People in Hamilton’s cheaper properties will be hit in the pocket if a change to transport rates goes ahead, a mayoral hopeful says.
Waikato Regional Council will soon be collecting public transport rates for the whole region and has proposed that Hamilton move to a flat rate of $278.88 per household, instead of calculating the contribution based on the value of the house.
But city councillors are asking the regional council to stick with the city’s current method, saying the proposed change would double what people in lower value properties pay.
“It makes a big difference for a low value property when you suddenly move from capital value to a flat fee,” Hamilton City Councillor and mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson said at Wednesday’s council meeting.
