Council wraps up budget and rates information sessions

This week, council concluded 4 community information sessions about budget and rates across the region in Arcadia Valley, Rolleston, Emerald and Dingo.

Building on the outcomes of last year’s community information sessions, council committed to hosting these sessions to further inform and update ratepayers on council’s budgeting and rates-setting process. Mayor Kerry Hayes, councillors, and selected council staff engaged with over 130 residents at the 4 locations across the council region.

A key component of the presentation were the factors and information that council decision-makers consider when tasked with developing the region’s annual budget. These factors include economic impacts and how land valuations are used in calculating rates.

Key highlights of the information sessions included:

The framework for financial sustainability in a local government. Roles and responsibilities of councillors. Limitations of making meaningful rates comparisons with other councils. Options provided under legislation for rate setting and changes to rates due to changes in valuation, which includes, use of rate capping, valuation averaging or changing the rate in the dollar. Equity and fairness considerations council uses when setting rates. Distribution of the rate contribution across different rate sectors.

Mayor Kerry Hayes expressed his appreciation to the response from attendees.

‘We received some very positive feedback from the community for providing the opportunity to ask questions and address enquiries,’ he stated.

‘People were grateful for the opportunity to have their voice heard and have a response to the way rates are calculated,’ he stated.

‘Concerns were raised, opinions stated and even with lots of emotion in the room, the sessions were all very respectful,’ he continued.

‘I trust these sessions were enlightening and provided the community with valuable insights into council’s processes.’

The sessions also gave an opportunity for council staff to play a pivotal role in resolving rate issues for rural ratepayers including succession and forced property amalgamation challenges.

‘Providing these sessions gives our community and ratepayers additional transparency and opportunity for accountability and perhaps will become a regular function in future budget deliberations,’ Mayor Hayes concluded.

Feedback and discussions from the session will be integral in the 2024-2025 budget preparations.

You can view the presentation from the information sessions here.

If you have any enquiries, please contact council on 1300 242 686.