Unhappy with budget

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Unhappy with budget

Not happy: Crs Don Hill and Andrew McEwen don’t want the 7.5 per cent rate rise and are inviting people to take part in a survey on The Star’s website.

NEW South Gippsland Shire councillors Don Hill and Andrew McEwen don’t want the proposed 7.5 per cent rate rise.

They say there hasn’t been time to find a solution but they’re hoping to put in an amendment “at the last minute”.

They have set up a survey on The Star’s website and invite people to respond with their views and have undertaken to lodge those with budget submissions.

“We aren’t happy,” the duo chorused.

Not only do they not like the projected rate rise, they aren’t pleased with the budget process either and want the community involved, the young included.

Cr Hill thinks councillors need more time for budget consideration and would like discussions to begin in early July, thus allowing nine months to thrash it out.

“It takes time to have a good look at it,” Cr McEwen said.

“A community budgeting approach is a genuine partnership. I’m a great believer in common sense and a lot of people have good ideas.”

He said farmers are doing it tough, local business turnover has dropped 20 per cent and he and Cr Hill want to cut rate rises over time.

“The annual plan we work into has a lot of good initiatives but we are totally frustrated with the budget process,” Cr Hill said.”

Cr McEwen said there is an extensive opportunity to look at sharing services with other councils, citing as examples building inspectors and waste management processes.

“We need an attitude where we can reduce costs and become sustainable.”

That prompted another thought. Cr McEwen said both South Gippsland and Bass Coast shire councils hold sustainability festivals. Why not join them into one?

Cr McEwen is very taken with Bass Coast Council’s benchmarking exercise. Councillors moved at their April meeting to undertake such a process. It will look at jobs and costs and aims to make comparison with like councils.

Cr McEwen suggested South Gippsland should cooperate with Bass Coast’s benchmarking process.

If it indicates costs can be shared, Cr McEwen said it would be a win for both communities.

Asked if South Gippsland and Bass Coast should merge, Cr Hill replied, “I don’t see how a merger could work.”

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Posted by on May 7 2013. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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