Between 50-70 people attended a meeting with council last night, with many residents saying council's rates were too high.

Mayor Miller said she wanted guidance from the community in how the council could cut services to reduce the costs for residents feeling the pain of rates.

"We are running a business, but we cannot budget for a deficit."

The council hosted the meeting at Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre after many residents expressed their anger after missing out on asking questions at an earlier council meeting. 

Mayor Miller said while the Valuer General could not attend the meeting, the council would lobby for a visit before the valuation was complete, as the process has already begun. 

KTC aldermen ran through a presentation outlining an 'ideal world' in which they budgeted for the future 40 years ago, as well as the council's plan, and what it costs to service town assets.

There was criticism that previous councils had not put money aside, or raised rates high enough, for some of the big problems faced by the community today.

In 2015, the council said it made the decision to increase rates to start saving for the future of Katherine. 

Coming from a deficit, the council is now saving for a new waste facility which is expected to cost about $40 million, as well as major assets like roads, streetlights and buildings. 

Resident Bill Daw asked the council if they had thought about how to raise funds for properties affected by PFAS.  But, Mayor Miller took the question on notice and said she would pass it onto the valuer general. 

Tom Pfennig called the valuer general's estimates on properties in Katherine "unfair". 

"My mother has lived on her street for 55 years and on her pension she has to come up with this huge fee," he said, "not one of you feel the pain of what we feel from rates, you don't care about us. 

"In five years my rates have increased four thousand dollars." 

And many people who expected their property prices to be different from the values placed on them three years ago thanks to PFAS contamination of the region.

There was a common theme among attendees at the meeting that there were anomalies on the Unimproved Capital Value placed on properties by the valuer general.

Residents used the rates meeting to ask about additional town issues such as the ongoing Hot Springs rejuvenation works, Anzac Day march and council staff wages. 

But other than confirmation the Hot Springs works would be completed this year, many questions were unanswered and taken on notice. 

The council will promote a further meeting when the valuer general is available to come to Katherine. 

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