At Council’s meeting of 23rd June, Crs Bond, Clark, Pearl and Sirakoff raised a motion to freeze rates. Unfortunately, Crs Baxter, Copsey, Crawford, Cunsolo and Martin did not support this motion. This is at a time Council is forecasting a $14 million operating surplus, an additional $2.3 million of rates revenue from new properties, and a $4.4 million cash surplus.
Our question remains – if not this year, when would a rate relief for all residents and businesses be supported?
After 16 months of living with COVID-19 and 4 lockdowns (now 5) resulting in devastating financial and mental health impacts on residents and businesses across Port Phillip, a rates freeze would have been a sign of goodwill and support to all the community.
Crs Bond, Clark, Pearl and Sirakoff voted against subsequent motions to increase rates and unrestrained spending from the $4.4m cash surplus, as well as a hardship motion because of unclear eligibility definitions and a lack of detailed program costing (as admitted by council officers). Keeping in mind, council only needed to allocate $2 million from this surplus to avoid any rate increase this year.
• Yes, there will be an average increase across 74,500 properties of $27, but not all properties are equal
• If your property value does not change, your rates will increase by 2.4%
• If your property value increases by 2%, your rates will increase by 4.5%
• If your property value increases by 5%, your rates will increase by 7.5%
• If your property value increases by 10%, your rates will increase by 12.65%
AND: If your property value FALLS by 0.9%, your rates will still INCREASE by 1.5%
Why is this so?This is due to a shift in rates revenue raising from commercial/industrial properties to residential properties, which resulted in an overall 4.5% increase in raised revenue from residential properties.
Do You Think Rates Should Have Been Increased for 2021-22?
**The City of Port Phillip have not authorised the use of the images of Councillors**
Recent Comments