๐๐๐ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ปโ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐. This month, councillors and residents will be considering Ku-ring-gaiโs Long Term Financial Plan which says that kerbs, guttering, stormwater, buildings, parks, and bridges will deteriorate over time due to insufficient funding. At the same time, council is also exploring the construction of the Marian Street Theatre as well as the St Ives Indoor Sports Centre at a combined cost of ~$40m, with most of the funding to come from borrowing money.
Is this sustainable and if not, how do we balance the books? Itโll ultimately be up to the councillors to decide, and residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback for consideration. More on this in tomorrowโs post.
But for today I want to focus on what most people consider when faced with having to provide more services. Their natural inclination is to focus on ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ ๐. Should Council ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ charged to residents, businesses and community organisations? Should Council ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ to plug gaps in the budget? Can Council ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ from the state and federal government? All measures can be considered.
However, before Council goes out cap in hand to ask ratepayers for more money, I personally believe itโs also important for Council to first demonstrate that it is ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ to ensure that the money we are already receiving is being spent wisely.
I know that our council staff regularly consider this question and budget effectively. Having said that, there may also be a time and place for an external local government expert to review the organisation and suggest more efficient ways of doing things.
๐๐๐ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ปโ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐. This month, councillors and residents will be considering Ku-ring-gaiโs Long Term Financial Plan which says that kerbs, guttering, stormwater, buildings, parks, and bridges will deteriorate over time due to insufficient funding. At the same time, council is also exploring the construction of the Marian Street Theatre as well as the St Ives Indoor Sports Centre at a combined cost of ~$40m, with most of the funding to come from borrowing money.
Is this sustainable and if not, how do we balance the books? Itโll ultimately be up to the councillors to decide, and residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback for consideration. More on this in tomorrowโs post.
But for today I want to focus on what most people consider when faced with having to provide more services. Their natural inclination is to focus on ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ ๐. Should Council ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ charged to residents, businesses and community organisations? Should Council ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ to plug gaps in the budget? Can Council ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ from the state and federal government? All measures can be considered.
However, before Council goes out cap in hand to ask ratepayers for more money, I personally believe itโs also important for Council to first demonstrate that it is ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ to ensure that the money we are already receiving is being spent wisely.
I know that our council staff regularly consider this question and budget effectively. Having said that, there may also be a time and place for an external local government expert to review the organisation and suggest more efficient ways of doing things.
