Northern Areas Council.

[Ray]

Over the last 2 years or so there has been a lot of controversy regarding some of the goings on by our local council, some of which attracted the interest of the ombudsman who handed down a scathing report only recently,http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/21/2471174.htm and you don't have to dig very deep to find a lot of discontent.

One of the latest areas of discontent is in regard to our Local effluent fees in our rates. It appears that when the effluent scheme was installed the Council borrowed the money and it was recorded in the Council minutes of the day that this loan was to be paid off by a $50 p.a. fee added to the rates of each ratepayer until the loan and interest was paid off. This was also to cover running costs.

We all realise that there is a possibility that there may be slight increases to offset the ever decreasing value of our money. I'm told that the fee only rose by $2 over a period of more than 10 years but since then it has risen by a further 450% to it's present value. So far the only (unofficial) excuse heard is that money is being put aside for replacement of the system

An ex councillor has been pursuing this matter and so far has been given the "right royal run around" with everyone professing no knowledge of the matter until he was finally pointed in the direction of a senior employee who as yet after numerous attempts "can't be contacted".  

I will be following the matter with some interest, in the mean time, It would be interesting to hear concerns of other rate payers as I have heard many over the last few days alone.

To be continued as information becomes available....

[adminer]

Surely local government are accountable and must justify rate increases? Are not Council records available to ratepayers? One would expect full disclosure - otherwise there is always the election of Councillors!  If the community are not adequately served, just find. promote and elect alternatives. Since the merger of Councils I'm still confused as to the towns involved in Northern Areas Council? Are all towns under Council control being rated equally to Jamestown? 

[Ray]

It seems that there have pretty much always been things going on that would not normally be considered part of what the ratepayers expect of their councillors. People receiving special consideration in council affairs seems to be one that comes to light fairly regularly.

I find it amazing how many people know of these little indiscretions, it seems that people just can't be bothered chasing them up as it takes more time than they have to spend.

One thing that really peeves me is that the CEOs salary is calculated as a percentage of the rates, which of course means that it is in his own best interest to raise the rates as high as he can. I would have thought that the rate payers would have expected him to try to keep rates as low as possible. The whole scheme works against the ratepayers whom these people are supposed to be serving and does nothing to promote fiscal responsibility within the council.

There's a lot more....

[adminer]

One thing that really peeves me is that the CEOs salary is calculated as a percentage of the rates, which of course means that it is in his own best interest to raise the rates as high as he can. I would have thought that the rate payers would have expected him to try to keep rates as low as possible.
There's a lot more....

That surely is a conflict of interest? As I said before, Local Council must be accountable in my opinion. By the way, Jamestown Events Forum is a place to vent your concerns & discuss what is best for Jamestown's community. So please join in the discussion.

[Susie]

Just a quick grizzle.  Doesn't anyone know how to fill or fix potholes in bitumen roads.  The small section of road over Hagger's Hill on the Whyte yarcowie Road is cracking up badly.  It gets patched but as soon there is a bit of traffic the holes open up again.
Maybe with the number of grain trucks and semis using this road at the moment, it will get ripped up enough for the council replace this whole 1km section.  Ha! Ha!  I guess I'm dreaming.

[hatchbackgirl75]

Recently, every time I run into a pothole on that stretch of road I pop in and tell the council and they fix it within a few days. Apparently if they don't know, they don't fix it. I was driving around a particularly huge pothole on the goyder end of that road for MONTHS and finally rang them and the extremely rude lady who didn't believe me did actually pass the message to the works crew and lo, it got fixed and I got to drive on the left side of the road again.

I haven't been that way for a couple weeks now, so if there's any potholes, I guess it is my fault 

You've got to tell them. They don't find them themselves.

[Dykey]

I should have put this up before.

The road inquestion comes under the Dept. Transport,Energy & Infrastructure.
The nearest office is at Crystal Brook.

Complain to them, regularly----The road maintenace section.