Politics
Mong Kok Household Budget Referendum to Set Utility Rebate Levels for District Residents
The November ballot asks Mong Kok voters to approve or reject a district-level measure that would tie future electricity and water rebates directly to household income brackets reported in the latest census.
How we reported this
The Mong Kok District Council placed a cost-of-living referendum on the November ballot that would create a local utility rebate program funded by a portion of district rates. The measure affects all 150,000 registered voters in the area and would apply to households whose annual income falls below the median figure recorded in the 2021 census for the district.
Why the measure appears on the ballot now
District rates collections rose 12 percent between 2023 and 2025, according to the council’s published financial statements. Council records show that the increase coincided with a 9 percent rise in average electricity tariffs charged by the two power companies serving the area. The referendum therefore asks residents whether part of the extra revenue should return as monthly credits rather than remain in the general fund.
For a two-person household in Mong Kok living in a subdivided flat and paying the current median rent of HK$12,800, passage of the measure would produce a projected HK$180 monthly credit on the electricity account once the program begins in April 2027. A four-person household earning under the district median would receive HK$320. The credits would be calculated automatically from ratepayer records already held by the council.
Budget figures and administrative timeline
The council’s 2025-26 estimates allocate HK$47 million to the proposed rebate pool if voters approve the measure. That sum equals roughly 3 percent of total rates revenue collected inside Mong Kok boundaries last year. Eligibility would be verified through existing tax assessment data rather than new applications.
Voters will mark yes or no on a single question printed on the ballot paper. If approved, the council must pass an implementation by-law within 90 days. The first credits would appear on bills issued after 1 April 2027. If rejected, the collected rates remain available for other district services already listed in the annual budget.