Wellington City Councillors will consider reducing a proposed rates hike when it looks at a pandemic response budget this week

A proposed rates hike of 9.2 percent had been floated prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

Staff are now recommending rates increase by 4.8 percent for the upcoming year - which would result in debt-funding 68-million dollars.

But, councillors are being told this would still likely see a rates rise as high as 10 percent for the following year.

It's been estimated council revenue will be down by 28 million dollars this year, and drop another 30-million dollars next year.