Concerns re: Council budget process

Councillors were presented with a draft budget and a couple of rate options a while back at an earlier briefing. I am concerned as it came back to as a 6.5% rate increase after no discussion. The discussion on that night became heated and some members of the ruling faction walked out. Cr Maria Kiselis and Cr Heidi Seitz stayed however, forcing Mayor Cr Troy Atanasovski et al to have to return and resume discussions. It was put to the rest of us that there would be no discussion because they wouldn’t accept the higher rate rise figure and that they would tell the CEO to include everything in the lower figure.

The discussions quickly broke down again and people stormed out making any further discussion impossible. The next thing we know a revised budget of the lower figure + 0.5% was presented to us “as the result of our discussion” or “our decision last time”, when in fact the group had reached no such decision.

Have your say on the draft 2009/2010 Council Budget, draft Council Plan 2009-2013 and the draft Road Asset Management Plan, which are now available to view online.

The Brimbank Community Plan was endorsed by Council on 24 March 2009. A copy of the Plan and Local Area Plans can be found here.

The Solar Suburbs Program aims to help as many households ‘go solar’ before the Federal Government's $8,000 rebate expires on 30 June 2009. Find out more here.