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Auckland Council says it has seen the highest number of submissions for its Long Term Plan to date.
Consultation for the 10 year budget closed at the end of March, with 27,978 responses.
There were 22,079 submissions made by individual Aucklanders, 391 by organisations, 23 by Māori entities, and ,485 pro forma responses.
Of the 15,954 individual responses on the council's overall plan, 37 percent supported a do less approach from council.
Council said the 'pay less, get less' and 'pay more, get more' options proposed rates increases between 3.5 percent and 14 percent.
It said the the draft Long-term Plan's central proposal included a proposed rates increase for the average household of 7.5 percent from 2024 to 2025, 3.5 percent for the following year, and 8 percent the year after that.
Transport and water were identified by council as the highest priority for a 'do more' investment, while city and local development, and economic and cultural development, had more 'do less' submissions, council said.
Forty-three percent of the individual submitters who responded to questions on the proposed Auckland Future fund, a $3 to $4 billion wealth fund for the city, said they were in favour of the proposal.
Forty-two percent of the submitters who responded to the proposed lease of the Port of Auckland for an upfront payment into the future fund were in favour of keeping the lease under council control.
Thirty-eight percent of individuals and 31 percent of organisations were in favour of leasing.
Thirty-five percent of individual submissions and 29 percent of organisations said council should not proceed with its proposal to move the remaining shares in Auckland International Airport to the future fund.
'Not a slash and burn exercise'
The city's mayor, Wayne Brown, said he was not surprised Aucklanders wanted a pay less, do less approach from the council's 10 year budget.
"People are doing it tough right now," he said.
"As a council, we must keep rates as low as possible to reduce the burden on Auckland households."
Brown said he campaigned to stop wasteful spending, and that it was still a priority.
Any organisations reliant on Auckland Council for funding should be prepared to do less, he said.
"This will be an ongoing process, not a slash and burn exercise," said Brown.
"And, it will be balanced by prudent investment in the backend to improve performance, as we look to strengthen the council's long-term financial position."
The council's Governing Body will adopt the final Long Term Plan on 27 June.
