FOR years I have warned Council’s inability to set realistic budgets and reining in losses on overblown pet projects will result in ratepayers picking up the tab, well tonight the Upper Hunter Shire Council voted to begin the process of approval for a 30% special rate variation. But it won’t just be 30% extra on your rates, there will also be the standard rate increases to keep pace with inflation, described by Council as “the natural rate capping increase” which can be an extra 3.7% each year. Council projects this will increase their rate base from $11 million per year to an extra $2million each year above the “natural rate capping.” But Council will consult with the community to ask which Satan’s sandwich they’d like to eat: 7.5% increase, cumulative for 4 years. 6% increase, cumulative for 6 years. 10% increase, cumulative for 3 years. Outlined in Council’s papers under “community affordability” is a rationalisation that Council estimates in some cases it really only equates to an extra $1 per week above the rate cap. But it is also flagged that a new rating class could be introduced whereby some ratepayers will pay less…which means costs will be shifted onto…