Common myths about councils

Councils get asked a lot of questions from “what day is my rubbish collected?” to “why are my rates going up?” Many of these are straightforward and come from people wanting to understand how things work.

But some questions come from misinformation or confusion – often sparked by things people see on social media. Other times, they’re completely made up.

That’s why it’s important we clear a few things up. Because once a myth spreads, it can cause real worry for people, and undermine trust in the work councils do every day to support our communities.

Let’s bust a few common ones.

Myth: Councils don’t need to exist. Everything should be centralised.
Truth: Councils deliver the services you use every day, and local decision-making matters.

From rubbish collection to parks, libraries, street lighting, water pipes, footpaths and building consents – councils keep your town or city running. Local government exists because different places have different needs. A small rural district has different priorities to a big city and decisions are best made by the people who live there. Councils give you a say in what happens where you live.

Myth: Rates are a rip-off and councils waste the money.
Truth: Every dollar of rates goes back into your community and councils are accountable for how it’s spent.

Rates fund the public services and infrastructure we all rely on. The cost of materials, wages and maintaining aging infrastructure has gone up – just like it has for households. That’s part of why rates have risen across the country.

Rates go up because they have to, not because councils want them to. They have to consult the public, balance the books, and report on how they’re spending money. If they don’t, auditors and voters hold them to account.

Myth: Councils can just stop rates increases if they want to.
Truth: Councils are legally required to balance the books – and costs keep rising.

It might feel like councils could just freeze or cut rates with a vote, but it’s not that simple. Councils have legal obligations to provide essential services, plan for future growth, and maintain critical infrastructure. They can’t spend more than they bring in, and they can’t borrow to balance the books. Councils can delay or reduce spending, and they often do, but that usually means cuts to services or pushing problems down the road.

Myth: Councils choose fancy projects over fixing basics.
Truth: Basics take up most of the budget and “extras” often bring in outside funding.

There’s a common frustration that councils spend on nice to haves rather than the basics.

But the bulk of council budgets goes on core infrastructure – water, waste, roads, transport, and essential services. Those visible “extras” are often a small slice of the pie, and they can often be funded through special grants, developer levies, or central government funding that can’t be used for other things.

Plus, councils need to invest in liveability too. Parks, events, libraries and community spaces are what make towns and cities great places to live – and attract people, businesses and visitors.

Myth: Elected members are overpaid and do nothing.
Truth: Councillors and mayors work long hours under public scrutiny often for modest pay.

Being a councillor isn’t an easy role. Many elected members spend hours every week reading reports, attending meetings, engaging with the public, and making tough decisions that affect thousands of people.

The pay varies depending on the size of the council and the role. And unlike most jobs, they’re constantly in the public eye and open to criticism, often with little support.

Most do it because they want to serve their community, not for the pay check.

Myth: Council staff are just bureaucrats sitting in offices.
Truth: Councils employ everyone from engineers and town planners to dog control officers, lifeguards and librarians.

Councils are some of the biggest local employers in the country. They include people working in building inspections, environmental protection, waste collection, emergency management, consent processing and more.

Councils are frontline organisations and their staff do everything from fixing potholes to teaching kids to swim.

Myth: Council consultation is fake. They’ve already made up their minds.
Truth: Councils are required to consult and what you say can make a difference.

It’s easy to feel sceptical about consultation processes, but they’re not box-ticking exercises. Councils are legally required to ask for public feedback on long-term plans, bylaws and major projects.

And yes, public submissions do shape decisions. Councillors are required to consider submissions with an open mind, and often change proposals or delay decisions based on what people tell them.

Myth: Councils are trying to trap people into 20 minute cities.
Truth: Good urban planning is designed to give you more freedom, not less.

Some people have claimed that councils are working to trap people in zones where they’re not allowed to travel more than 15 or 20 minutes from their homes. That’s not true.

The 20-minute city or 15-minute neighbourhood idea is a planning concept. It’s about designing communities where everyday things like schools, shops, parks and health services are nearby. So if you want to walk, bike or take public transport, you can.

You’re not forced to stay within 15 minutes of home. It’s about choice. If you’d rather live further out and commute, you can.

Myth: Councils are following a global agenda.
Truth: Councils answer to their communities, not overseas organisations.

You might have seen claims online about councils pushing a globalist agenda. These ideas often reference the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 or the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Councils do not take direction from either the UN or the WEF.

Agenda 2030 is a set of global goals that all United Nations countries – including New Zealand – agreed to back in 2015. It’s aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet, and improving wellbeing.

Some council goals, like building affordable housing or cutting pollution, might overlap with Agenda 2030. But that doesn’t mean councils are working for the UN. It just means councils care about the same things local people do like healthy kids, decent homes, and clean rivers.

Myth: Councils are borrowing money against your home.
Truth: Your property is not used as security for council debt.

Some people think councils are using private homes as collateral when they borrow money. This isn’t true.

Councils borrow money to fund big projects – things like pipes, roads and community facilities. They don’t do it recklessly, and they don’t borrow against individual ratepayers’ homes. Instead, councils secure loans against their ability to collect rates revenue. This is allowed under the law, and it’s how lenders know councils can repay their loans.

Myth: Property revaluations are a council cash grab.
Truth: Property values change how rates are split; not how much is collected.

Councils are legally required to revalue properties in their area every three years. This job is done by independent valuation companies, and the timeline is signed off by the Office of the Valuer-General, not the council.

Some people believe councils use revaluations to increase how much they collect in rates. That’s not how it works.

Councils decide the total amount they need to collect based on their budgets – usually through a long-term plan that’s reviewed every three years. Then, property values are used to work out who pays what share of that total.

So, if your property increases in value more than the average in your area, your rates bill may go up more than others. If it goes up less than average, your share might drop. But the total pot of money the council collects doesn’t change just because house prices do.

Myth: Councils aren’t real legal entities.
Truth: Councils are established and governed by New Zealand law.

Some conspiracy groups claim that councils have no legal authority and that individuals can opt out of laws or rates by declaring themselves sovereign citizen.

This isn’t true.

Councils are legal bodies under the Local Government Act 2002. That law spells out their powers, responsibilities and duties including the ability to collect rates, pass bylaws, and provide public services.

The New Zealand court system has repeatedly dismissed so-called “sovereign citizen” arguments. You can’t just choose to ignore laws or obligations because you don’t agree with them. That’s not how the law works here or anywhere else.