Category Archives: Rates

Rate Cap = Crazy Idea

Rate Cap

Labor went to the last State election saying they would cap rates at CPI plus 2 per cent. Now the Liberals are following suit and talk is a cap at CPI. I don’t blame them; I’d probably do the same if I were in their shoes. But it does need to be seen as the populist and short-sighted idea that it is. As I detail near the end of this article, the workable method to limit future rate rises is to target the expenditure side of Local Governments; not the income side.
Continue reading Rate Cap = Crazy Idea

The Budget Process

Budget

I imagine most people wouldn’t be fully aware of what is involved in this important Local Government function. It mainly consists of discussions on the planned expenditure for the coming year and which community and club requests can be funded. From this information, the required income is then known and rates are set.  It is a long time-consuming process held over several months, and it all culminated with last night’s  (30/06/15) council meeting where the 2015-16 budget was adopted.  Continue reading The Budget Process