Forum –
So, we are bailing the Council out and providing the nominated 10 or 15 percent rate increase.
Did we have a choice?
It defies common sense that poor managers are maintaining their positions and being provided with more funds to continue their activities.
Have any staff been removed for poor, or unauthorised, performance?
What guarantee do the ratepayers have to ensure this insolvency will not be repeated? None.
We did accept an extraordinary rate increase a few years ago to keep the Wyong Council floating.
Experience indicates that every organisation develops its own culture which emanates from the executive level, and should there be no change there, the undesirable culture continues to thrive.
Is this sense of entitlement going to continue or will there be a move to a more austere style of operation?
The latter seems to be what is needed.
It seems that we ratepayers must exist in the hope that our employees (councillors and council staff) will apply themselves to meeting the wishes of ratepayers.
Although there is nothing to be done about my feelings of impotence to change this situation, it should be mentioned that current rates are not consuming so much of my pension and it is possible it is the same for others.
The rates levied for the 2009/2010 year were 7.07 percent of my pension at that time.
Currently, they are 6.18 percent of my present pension.
You may calculate the percentage which will be apparent following this latest impost.
Email, Feb 2
Allan Carpenter, Budgewoi