Letter to the Editor: New Community Group forming
/City of Greater Geraldton Ratepayers Information Update
1. Did you know that the City of Greater Geraldton has increased its debt from less than $20M accumulated over recent years as at June 30 2014 to in excess of $40M as at June 30 2015 and guess who’s going to pay that all back.
2. That Council will have collected $155,505,438 in rates over the 2012/13 – 2015/16 years based on the rate increase of 27.19%, 2.26%, 4.3% and 3.9%. If a normal rate of 6% each year had been adopted the total rates collected would only have been $134,934,521.
Or $20,570,917 difference.
So Council have collected $20,570,917 in rates over and above a “normal” rate increase and to add insult to injury have then increased “our” – (ratepayers) debt by another $20M this year. Does that concern you?
3. City of Greater Geraldton has so far spent $1.24M on the Olive Street project and the property is exactly as it was 2 years ago and no residential development will take place. Council have finally found out what every resident has known all along – the site is contaminated – guess who pays for that with nothing to show for it.
4. And did you know that the $5M “profit” Council forecast for the Olive Street subdivision sell off is now zero and to add insult to injury they’ve now budgeted to spend between $4.5M and $5.5M to decontaminate the site and turn it into a Park – i.e. an approximate $10M turnaround.
5. The City of Greater Geraldton Ratepayers Demand Change Inc Group are disbanding – we think we’ve outlived our purpose after achieving a $19M rate saving over a 10 year period by having rates reduced from the intended 7.2% in 2013/14 back to 2.26% and also getting a commitment from Council to consult with ratepayers through Community Forums and Summits.
An enlarged group is in the formulation stage to be called Greater Geraldton Council Watch Inc(or similar) to scrutinise the wider decision making matters that come before Council and to pass on to Councillors (our representatives) the feeling of the community (ratepayers).
If you’d like to be part of the group or contribute to it please feel free to call me on 0428211066.
Max Correy
former Chairman of the former City of Greater Geraldton Ratepayers Demand Change Inc
