We have recently been made aware that Council rates on the Central Coast will rise by 4.8 per cent from July 1.
As our community continues to grapple with the ongoing impacts of the rising cost of living, this is difficult news to hear as we enter the new financial year.
Unsurprisingly, Central Coast Council has chosen to adopt the maximum rate increase possible as part of IPART’s rate peg system.
Despite this latest rise providing Council with an additional $39.6M in revenue, it is imperative that we look at more ways to bring costs down.
With staffing costs going up some $18M, looking at ways to reduce expenditure can help us prevent future adoptions of the maximum rate increases from IPART.
Local residents should not have to continue footing the bill for the financial mismanagement carried out by the previous council.
As I have stated previously, we must also look at how we can generate more income from Council assets to assist in improving our financial position.
With millions of dollars in debt still to be repaid, every dollar earned and saved is an opportunity for ratepayers to keep more money in their own pockets.
That is what should be our number one priority.
Email, Jun 27
Jared Wright, Avoca Beach