An 11th hour bid to pare down Auckland rates rises has been slammed by one councillor as too late.

Public anger over large rate rises has prompted a group of six Auckland councillors to write to Mayor Len Brown calling for a re-think on the targeted transport levy.

They want the money found from savings, and they want that done before the new 10 year budget is signed off at the end of June.

But Councillor George Wood says they should have voted for his colleague Dick Quax's motion to do exactly that last week.

"On 25 June this budget is signed off for the next 12 months, it's the annual plan. It's going to be chaotic if council doesn't have a budget to go forward from 1 July."