Rates – There Are Other Options

COUNCILLOR Lee Watts who voted against the application to IPART for the 20 percent rate rise said there are other ways the Council could fund activities in the Shire without such a steep cost increase for ratepayers.

“To start with all of the things on the list, which the rate rise will cover, were already within Council’s normal budget,” said Cr Watts.

“But it meant that some of the things on the list may not be done for five or ten years, it would have been a gradually roll out, rather than everything at once,” she said.

“We also had other options for a rate rise to cover more costs, but they were not such a big increase, the 20 percent was the largest increase option,” she said. (See options below)

“I support the main streets of the town being revitalised, but there is more than one way to go about it, without adding a significant burden to local rate payers,” she said.

“There are a lot of people out there really struggling to make ends meet, who cringe when the latest electricity bill comes in or worry about how to put food on the table and they don’t need this as well,” Cr Watts said.

Cr Sue Abbott, who was not at the December meeting when the motion was passed, said she does not support the 20 percent rate rise either.

Cr Lorna Driscoll also voted against the rise and said she was most worried about how the rate rise would impact farmers and pensioners.

Options considered by Council in October 2017:

• Option 1: Apply for a loan facility of $8million to fund part of Town Revitalisation projects to be repayed by a SRV at 2.1% plus rate pegging for 3 years with a low farmland SRV increase of 0.75% plus rate pegging for 3 years.
• Option 2: Apply for a loan facility of $10 million to fund all of Town Revitalisation Projects to be repaid by a SRV at 2.6% plus rate pegging for 3 years with a low farmland SRV increase of 0.75% plus rate pegging for 3 years.
• Option 3: Apply for a loan facility of $12 million to fund all of Town Revitalisation and other Community Projects to be repaid by a SRV at 3% plus rate pegging for 3 years with a low farmland SRV increase of 0.75% plus rate pegging for 3 years.
• Option 4: Apply for a loan facility of $15 million to fund all of Town Revitalisation, Community projects and major road upgrades ($3.0 mill) to be repaid by a SRV at 4% plus rate pegging for 3 years with a low farmland SRV increase of 1.25% plus rate pegging for 3 years.

Related stories:

• State Should Pay – Not Ratepayers – February 8, 2018.
• Editorial: Rate Variation Circus – January 30, 2018.
• Council Apply to Increase Rates – January 30, 2018.