Catrina Jones

Thank you, Peter Patterson, for your Beacon letter (March 27), wherein you wrote that no way can Whakatāne community support the proposed 9.4 percent rate increase.

We need to reduce our proposed rates increase to a preferable 3-4 percent.

Our previous mayor’s policy was for our council to keep to basics and live within our means. The majority of the then councillors did not vote that way.

Our council must find straightforward ways to reduce our original 9.4% proposed rates increase.

I suggest the council should contact retired accountant and 2025 mayoral candidate Philip Jacob who would simply show how to achieve prudent financial management and get our proposed rates increase reduced considerably.