On Monday night (July 4), we the Local Representation Committee (LRC), had our first meeting at the Young Town Hall.

In attendance were Local Representation Committee members Brian Ingram, Sandy Freudenstein, Stuart Freudenstein, Ben Cooper, and myself, Brian Mullany.

Tony Wallace was an apology.

Also attending was the new Hilltops Council General Manager, Anthony McMahon and the new Hilltops Council Administrator Wendy Tuckerman.

Wendy Tuckerman was the former Mayor of Boorowa Shire and Anthony McMahon was the former General Manager of Boorowa Shire.

The meeting began with general discussion regarding meeting procedure.

A question arose as to whether the meeting would be minuted and who would take minutes.

Would we take motions from the floor that would be seconded and then debated and then moved or would we simply have recommendations past onto the administrator?

The administrator informed us there were no fixed rules for the Local Representation Committees as our motions or recommendations or whatever will be considered by the administrator.

However, the final decision will be made by the administrator after referring to the Directors (Council staff) recommendations.

In a normal council situation, the Councillors would study the Director’s recommendations.

Council would then, through community input, make a decision as to what way to move forward.

Part of the meeting dealt with the issue of the Young areas rate rise being an overall 4.5% as compared to the Boorowa and Harden areas having a rate rise of 1.8%.

In the financial papers, Young's rate rise is stated as 1.8%.

However, due to an anomaly last year regarding valuations, Young Shire actually collected around $150,000 less in rates than they statutorily could have.

So earlier this year, the Director of Corporate Resources in the then un-amalgamated shire had suggested that this should be picked up which would result in an overall rate rise of 4.5%.

Due to the timing of the proclamation of the new shires, debate had not begun as to whether this rate rise would occur.

But, there had been strong opposition at the time from Tony Wallace as well as many rate payers.

I have had many phone calls in relation to this matter.

I agree that it is unjust that as an amalgamated council our area has its rates rise 4.5% while the other two areas remain at 1.8%.

For the 2017 financial year, the new amalgamated council is running either three or four sets of books depending on how you look at it - Young, Harden, Boorowa and combined.

On top of this, the old financial year was closed on the May 12, with the proclamation, and the 16/17 year runs from the proclamation date until June 30, 2017.

It would be difficult to do this any other way until all can be combined.

But, with this, anomalies in the budget arise.

One of the anomalies is that the final rates due at the end of May were not included in the final figures for 2016.

Therefore a poorer result is showing than would have been actual.

In the 2017 budget estimates, Boorowa is predicting a net loss of $1.034 million.

Harden is predicting a net loss of $679,000,

I am unsure if an additional $1.5 million water pipeline has been factored into the Harden area costs.

Harden’s bottom line may be –$2.179 million.

Young is predicting a net profit of $1.194 million.

The combined Hilltops Council budget shows a loss of $518,000 that includes a $5 million grant for amalgamation costs.

How it can even be contemplated that the Young rate payers would be burdened with a higher rate rise than their neighbours is ludicrous.

I urge Wendy Tuckerman to consider the Young area rate rise and bring it into line with the other two Hilltops Council areas.

The Young LRC moved a motion to this effect on Monday evening and we would like our representation to be respected.

Regards,

Brian Mullany

Local Representation Committee Hilltops Shire Council