Press Release – Communities and ResidentsCommunities and Residents (C&R) says Auckland Council is misleading ratepayers about this year’s rates increase, with many households and businesses receiving bills higher than they were led to believe. Higher commercial rates target a smaller voting group than the much larger residential ratepayer base, meaning the trade-off is strategic. “Ratepayers don’t pay an average – they pay the bill that arrives in their letterbox,” says C&R President David Hay. “It is difficult to believe Council wasn’t aware of what it was doing when it failed to communicate the full impact of this increase. “Instead of telling the truth, Council opted for damage control, downplaying criticism of an already unpopular decision by selling a myth.