PROPERTY owners will have to dig deep to find about $1000 more than last year when rate notices land in letterboxes later this month.
The City of Maribyrnong’s 2007-08 rates notices will be delivered to more than 32,000 residential and commercial property owners, who will help fund the infrastructure upgrades and facilities operated by the council.
City of Maribyrnong mayor Michael Clarke said the six per cent rate rise was a result of deteriorating infrastructure and government cost-shifting.
“This year ratepayers will need to cover $395,000 more for library funding and $112,000 more for maternal and child health services, just to give two examples of cost-shifting,” he said.
Cr Clarke said the rates collected by the council also helped to fund recreation centres, home help, rubbish and recycling collection and the maintenance and improvements to parks and playgrounds.
“We provide over 80 different services to our very diverse community, and we do it as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible,” he said.
The council’s budget is largely made up of revenue from rates (64.6 per cent), with the balance sourced from State and Federal Government grants (12.1 per cent), statutory fees and fines (7.6 per cent), and user-based charges and interest (15.7 per cent).
