Extortionate Rise in Council Rates

We just received our rates, and they have increased by 26.2%. at a time when the average CPI Increase for the same period was 3.1%

I think that it is time the Northern Areas Council was called to account. In any other field, a price rise of this magnitude would be considered as ludicrous and would have to be justified BEFORE it could be imposed. The fact that our Council CEOs salary is also tied to the rate revenue makes this doubly suspicious, I would go so far as to say that it is a serious conflict of interest, and needs to be changed.

Over the last ten or more years I have been observing the operation of our council an find that they are becoming a law unto themselves all hiding away down in the "Cream Brick Kremlin" with huge wastage of our rates with such luxuries as a fleet of cars and trucks that the majority of the ratepayers would never be able to justify or afford for their own use. It is certainly time that our council was made to justify their purchases the same as those who pay the rates. I believe that some of the upper echelon have a fuel card and it can be used to purchase fuel when the vehicle is used for private use,... remember, we ratepayers are paying for this when we can often barely afford to put fuel in our own vehicles. What happened to the days when CEOs etc., used their own vehicles and submitted their expenses for reimbursement like most peole have to do? For a while we had an Overseer who elected to move 80kms away, and to commute to and from work in a Council vehicle,... who was paying for that?

I could never afford to live and work in the luxury that they enjoy and I don't know many people who can. All financed with extortionate rates more in accordance with a small city rather than a small country town.

Not so many years ago, if you wished to speak to the Town Clerk he was sitting working at his desk in plain sight. As a matter of courtesy you asked his secretary if he was free to have a word with, whereupon if he was free he would look up and ask what he could do for you. If he was busy he would generally keep working and the secretary would ask you the nature of your enquiry and to come back later. Now the Girl at the desk says,... "I'll see if he's in," and disappears into his office (if he was in, she easily could see from the doorway) then reappears to say, "I'm sorry he's not in". Hmmm... likely story,....

I'm afraid that the ratepayers of this town/area are treated like an inconvenience in virtually all areas except where paying of fees and rates is concerned, funnily there's always someone willing to take your money..... no delays there.

It would seem that our self serving council seems to be no longer there to serve the community, but more likely to be creating, enriching and enforcing of a bureaucracy designed for those living in Toorak or Kensington.

A year or so ago, our council was under investigation by the relevant authorities for improper practices, nothing much was ever said, certain persons were shifted sideways and the whole matter was swept under the rug, to me it seems as if there is still things that need looking at.