Displaying all 3 posts by Geoff Stevenson on Facebook October 2009
20 October 2009
Tonight at Randwick Council Labor tried to stop the Liberals and their new Mayor prepare their plan to slug ratepayers by introducing a 7% rate rise for 7 years to pay for $30 million worth of maintenance and construction. This comes on top of last years increase of 9.8% meaning Randwick rates have increased will by 16.8% in 2 years. See GM51/09 at http://businesspapers.randwick.nsw.gov.au/Open/2009/OC_20102009_AGN_AT.PDF
The new Mayor gagged debate on Labor’s motion and supported the Liberals’ Notley-Smith who proposed a convoluted in-principle amendment supported by the Mayor and the Greens to prepare for the 7% rate rise through a special rate variation rather than go to public consultation and look seriously at other options to the problem or for the under funded maintenance and construction of council buildings. Labor Councillor Geoff Stevenson proposed to ask the public what they wanted first before deciding on how to pay for it but this was dismissed by the Mayor without even a vote. That sort of gag on debate shows how the residents are likely to be treated in consultation before they get their $84 bill next year.
over a year ago ·
21 October 2009
A recission motion was filed the next day by Labor Councillors which reads as follows:
That:
a) an extensive community consultation process be undertaken to determine which options ratepayers and residents prefer for the funding of the proposed building program 2010-2017.
b) any in-principle decision to proceed to make a special rates variation application to fund and proposed building program be referred to a full council meeting with a full report on the options as determined in (a)
28 October 2009
Last night Randwick Labor tried to limit the excessive rates increase to fund the $32 million Building Program and exempt pensioners but the Liberals, independents (Andrews, Mathews, Mayor) and the Greens voted against it.
The Council will now apply to the Department of Local Government for an extra 2.69% per year cumulative increase (8.29% after 3 years) to fund the Buildings for our Community Program. To raise $32 million over 7 years the increase will be 2.69% on top of the maximum increase of around 3.5% allowed by the State Government for 3 years until it reaches 8.29% and then stay in the rates “forever”.
Confused? Some of the Liberals were (Belleli and Seng) but they still voted for it anyway.
Who was silent during the debate last night ? Liberal Notley-Smith and his puppet Mayor. The Mayor has made no media comment on this significant issue. He even instructed the Council’s General Manager to contact the media for him to argue the case for him. If the Mayor does run at the next election which is doubtful who will he get to explain to the residents and ratepayers why his term on council delivered the highest rates increase for Randwick on record.
Even after the $32 million is collected more and more will come back to the Council as the increase will stay in the base rate for years and years. Our financially successful Council will now be “in the money” for a number or years to come.
Only $9 million of this money will be spent in the current Council’s term, the rest in the next Council term, so if you want to vote the Council out to stop it, bad luck it will still go ahead.
Labor tried to limit the fund to the $9 million identified in the 2010 budget to be spent in the next 3 years only and to exempt all pensioners from the increase.
Let the Mayor explain why this is not reasonable, he was silent on the night.
