Hilltops Council adopted their first Operational Plan at an extraordinary meeting recently with some big plans for Young included in the year ahead.
The 2017 draft budget has a net operating result of $2,811,000 including the $5,000,000 Merger Implementation funding from the NSW government and grants and contributions provided for capital purposes.
The net operating result before grants and contributions is $498,000.
Included in the council’s projected capital works expenditure is a $60,000 upgrade to the fire station, $100,000 plus $100,000 carried over for the new dog pound, a combined $50,700 for the Parks, Gardens & Reserves Upgrade Programme and $70,000 for the Stage 2 and 3 Upgrade Design of the swimming pool.
Also, something which is relevant with the current weather conditions, $97,925 has been projected for Stormwater improvements.
Former Young Mayor and chair of the Young Local Representative Committee Brian Ingram said he was pleased with the Hilltops Council operational plan.
“I am pleased Hilltops agreed to adopt the operational plan put forward by the former Young Council,” Brian said.
“All the works included in the plan were drafted in the former Young council’s plan before the amalgamation.
“The only change is how some projects will be financed,” he said.
Those changes were made after council elected not to take up the proposed 4.5 per cent rate rise.
Council decided not to cut works out of the budget to offset the reduction in income and keep the expenditure included in the budget unchanged.
They will transfer funds from reserve to deliver the full capital works program.
“Over the next 12 months there will be a lot of work to be undertaken in reviewing the long term financial position of the new Council” Hilltops Council Administrator Wendy Tuckerman said.
