Committee adopts draft rate rise of 4.95 per cent, City of Albany annual budget progressed to ordinary meeting

Albany council gave a strong indication it will back a targeted rate rise of 4.95 per cent later this month after the City’s draft 2023-24 budget was endorsed at the committee level on Tuesday. The Community and Corporate Services Committee meeting was one of the final chances for councillors to debate the City’s budget before its expected endorsement at the ordinary council meeting. Discussions about the budget touched on whether the size of the rate rise was appropriate and if fees for elected members should rise. Speaking to the recommendation endorsing the draft municipal rate levels, Cr Greg Stocks indicated there had been plenty of discussions prior to the meeting about whether a rate rise of 4.95 per cent or 3.95 per cent should be targeted. He told the meeting option to impose a rate rise had been “vigorously discussed and explored” and thanked City staff for the level of detail put into the budget. “It’s always quite unbelievable the detail you go into that gives us the opportunity to robustly explore every potential option,” he said. “We probably put you on the grill a bit more this year, but we needed to do that because there is a cost-of-living crisis out in the community and we need to be sure that if we have to raise the rate it is for legitimate reasons.” He said the administration had outlined a number of unknowns including the level of employment costs, the impact of recently implemented State Government legislation and whether the $52 million capital works program could come in on budget. “And people still expect services and our assets maintained according to legislation,” he said. All eight recommendations relating to the adoption of the budget were progressed to the ordinary council meeting unanimously, but not before some further debate about potentially freezing elected members sitting fees and allowance. Councillors are budgeted to receive a $490 increase in their meeting fees over the coming 12 months, and the mayor’s combined meeting fees and allowance are proposed to rise to $142,815 from $140,701 in the 2022-23 budget. Cr Chris Thomson proposed an amendment that would have frozen the fees at the 2022-23 level. “This is amidst a cost-of-living crisis, amidst a housing crisis and amidst protracted EBA negotiations where we will be asking City staff to tighten their belts,” he said. “The officer recommendation will keep us at the highest amount payable to any group of elected members in this state.” He pointed towards the fact it the level of pay would be on par with that given to local governments which had much higher population bases such as the cities of Stirling, Joondalup and Cockburn. Mayor Dennis Wellington highlighted it was difficult to compare what elected members did at different local governments based on population because the City of Albany was significantly larger based on area. He also pointed towards the upcoming reduction in the number of elected members as a reason the increase in fees was appropriate. “I think if you went out into the workforce of any company and said we’re going to drop your workforce by 16.6 per cent and also you’re not going to get a wage rise in line with the cost-of-living rises you’d have a riot on your hands,” he said. Cr Robert Sutton also said the heightened workload councillors would have to take on following October’s election, which will see the number of elected members fall from 13 to 11, was a valid reason to accept the fee rise, as did Cr John Shanhun. Cr Thomas Brough said the council had been “gently rebuked” by the community survey earlier in the year and opting not to accept higher fees “would send a powerful symbolic message to the community that we are prepared to listen”. Cr Thomson, Cr Brough, Cr Malcolm Traill and Cr Stephen Grimmer voted for the amendment which was defeated 4-7. All four councillors then joined the remainder of the council to vote unanimously in favour of the fee increase. The City’s 2023-24 draft annual budget will now be progressed to the ordinary council meeting on July 25 to be formally endorsed.