Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour votes against council budget

A Queensland mayor has sensationally decided against voting in favour of the council’s budget, which he says will hit ratepayers with a massive rate rise. FULL DETAILS

Fraser Coast mayor George Seymour has voted against this year’s council budget.

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour has sensationally voted against this year’s council budget, saying he didn’t think the intended rates was fair.

Mr Seymour was the only councillor to vote against this year’s budget, which will include a 10.5 per cent rate rise for the region’s ratepayers.

Mr Seymour said the magnitude of the rates rise was one he couldn’t support.

He said in terms of the money the council was raising, the rates rise actually reached 12.72 per cent, without factoring in growth, which was what the council did to arrive at the annual figure.

Mr Seymour said it had not been a hard decision to vote against the budget.

Fraser Coast mayor George Seymour has voted against the council budget and a hefty rates rise.

“It is outside what I think is fair,” he said.

Earlier councillors Phil Truscott, Paul Truscott and Denis Chapman spoke in favour of adopting the budget.

“As every household or business knows, everything is costing more. Council has had the double whammy of increased costs and reduced government grants,” Deputy Mayor Paul Truscott said.

“Our expenses are increasing much more than the inflation rate due to the specific types of goods and services we need.

“For example, the cost of building a road has nearly doubled.

“Despite these challenges, council remains focused on delivering essential services like water, waste and roads as efficiently as possible, effectively managing and maintaining our assets, and planning for the future to meet the unique needs of our rapidly growing community.

“To assist the most vulnerable in our community, council is increasing the pensioner rates concession from $175 a year to $200 a year.

Deputy Mayor Paul Truscott.

“We’ve also almost halved our residential rates cap.

“With land valuations going up an average of 38 per cent on the Fraser Coast this year, halving the residential rates cap will lessen the impact of land valuations on general rate increases.

“Council has 55 different rating categories so the changes to rates bills vary from property to property.

“For the vast majority of residential homes, the increase to the total bill – including general rates, levies, and water and waste charges where applicable – will be between $2.15 and $7.42 a week.”

Mr Truscott said the budget was about ensuring the organisation’s fiscal responsibility and while half of Queensland’s councils are facing major deficits the Fraser Coast was not as a result of making “these challenging decisions”.

Phil Truscott said he would probably be more popular if he didn’t vote in favour of the budget, but it was important that the council keep delivering services and infrastructure.

Mr Chapman said the council would have to cut community services and jobs if not for the rates rise and that was something he couldn’t support.

More to come.