RATEPAYERS in Mount Alexander Shire are likely to welcome news of a smaller than expected rate rise proposed in their council's draft budget this year.
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Mount Alexander Shire councillors are set to vote at their meeting in Castlemaine tonight on the draft budget for 2015-16, a major theme of which will be its 4.5 per cent rate rise.
The rise represents a reduction of the 6 per cent rate rise predicted in council's Strategic Resource and Long Term Financial Plans adopted in 2014.
Speaking before tonight's meeting, mayor Christine Henderson said council decided against increasing rates to 6 per cent as it had done the past four or five years.
"This year, there wasn't a single councillor interested in going for 6 per cent," she said.
She said there was a "strong feeling" that in the economic climate things were going to get tighter and council felt such a rate rise would impact on ratepayers in various ways.
"The sentiment was we wanted to follow the advice of ratepayers which we heard at listening posts," she said.
"Our council have really made an effort to make cuts where we could see them, there really is a very modest capital works program."
Cr Henderson said external constraints, such as state government's forewarning of rate capping measures on local councils from next year, also played a part.
She said some of the major expenditure was on infrastructure such as landfill and roads, while upgrades to buildings such as Berkeley Street Kindergarten were some of the "little gems" in an otherwise modest budget.
She said she was pleased with council's draft budget and that it had achieved a lower rate rise.
"I'd be very pleased if we're towards the lower end (of rate rises across the state)," she said.
"I hope the community appreciates the effort by council and staff to present a modest, balanced budget."