For any Council to even consider putting up its rate charges in the current environment is appalling and arrogantly snubs the current plight of the community that it should be helping, not hurting.
WE SAY Council should Freeze Rates in the upcoming 2021-22 Budget, which may be increase by 1.5% in light of the Covid19 crisis and hardships our community is currently facing. For renters these rate rises will no doubt be passed on and rental costs will rise, making it tougher for everyone.
Unlike the City of Port Phillip Council which has increased rates income by 2% in 2020-21, The Melbourne City Council has frozen rates despite the economic challenges acknowledging that ratepayers and residents should come first.
Sadly in Port Phillip these extra rates ($2.5m)were mostly be consumed by staff wage increases.
WE SAY Port Phillip Council should recognise the hardship of residents and ratepayers and not increase rates simply to be spent on staff wage increases.
Council are doing little to curb this massive staff cost of $98 million (2019/2020), with close to 900 staff (2019/2020) and a pay rise of 2% (close to $2 million) on the 1st July 2020 right sun the middle of one of the worst disasters in our history putting people out of work and out of wages.
Our new batch of Councillors need listen to the community that pays the rates not the Council Management that takes the wage rises and spends our money on the massive bureaucracy and petty ultra vires pet projects just to justify their employment.
Ratepayers in other municipalities are paying much less for their annual rates for similar residential properties to those in the CoPP. Our friends in the Cities of Bayside and Boroondara pay approximately half the rates that we are paying in Port Phillip for similar properties. Ratepayers in CoPP pay massive rates when other municipalities are charging more reasonable rates. Perhaps the next council election should be a referendum on Council spending and the services that ratepayers are willing to pay for.
Snap poll – Should Council freeze rates this year in consideration of the tough times effecting us all?
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