By Candice Boyle
THE average City of Maribyrnong home owner’s rate bill will exceed $1000 next financial year to help fund $1.09 million to renew infrastructure across the municipality.
There was unanimous support for the 2007/2008 budget when five councillors voted to adopt the budget at last Tuesday’s ordinary council meeting.
Mayor Michael Clarke and councillors Michelle MacDonald, Dina Lynch, Janet Rice and Joseph Cutri welcomed the diverse spending outlined in the budget.
Crs Catherine Cumming and Janis Rossiter were both absent when the budget was accepted and forfeited their opportunity to vote on the proposal.
Cr Cutri strongly endorsed the budget that will see $15.3 million spent on capital works across the municipality.
“It is a great pleasure to adopt this budget. The good news in this budget is $15.3 million in capital works.
“It is a huge commitment to capital works and one of this council’s biggest,” he said.
Cr Cutri said the budget tackled three big areas of concern for residents, climate change, economic growth and traffic and transport issues.
“It is a great budget we all should be very proud of,” he said.
The budget was compiled in light of consultation at a community forum in April and was later placed on public display in May where only one submission was received.
The council addressed the submission by the Seddon Community Group directly and no further action was required.
Cr Clarke said the budget achieved a good balance of the needs of the community.
“We’ve listened to our community and expanded some services.
“It’s always tough to decide what the priorities are for our city but this year we’ve been able to do more for our environment, maintain over 80 services and put more money into fixing up our community buildings and infrastructure,” he said.
The $15.3 million to be spent on capital works and improvement in the municipality will include:
• $1.3 million on the Nicholson St Mall redevelopment
• $1.2 million on parks and recreation programs
• $6.5 million on road and transport improvements
• $3.7 million on building programs.
The budget also includes a continued commitment to reducing the council’s debt of more than $20 million to $19.089 million by the end of 2008.
A further $1.7 million has been allocated for the new social, environmental and economic initiatives program, while the $1.09 million raised from the 2.2 per cent rate increase will be spent on urgent community infrastructure projects.
Cr Cutri said the budget and the rate rise was a result of a range of external and internal influences, the biggest of which include was a 7 per cent increase in the fire brigade levy, $183,000 decrease in grants from the Victoria Grants Commission and a 3 per cent increase in government cost shifting.
The rate increase incorporates the 3.8 per cent CPI increase and a further 2.2 per cent, or $1.09 million, dedicated to asset renewal.
