‘Council should be ashamed’ over planned rate hike

A PROPOSED 30 per cent rate hike is "unbelievable", says this letter writer.

CLEAR MESSAGE: Guerilla road artist Roa Dart is again sending the Lismore City Council a clear message about dangerous sections of roads around the Lismore area. Picture: Max Osborn

I FIND it unbelievable that Lismore City Council would consider raising land rates by up to 30 per cent over five years to address budget shortfalls.

Surely our council, which has overwhelmingly the highest CBD rates in the Northern Rivers and amongst the highest residential rates, would be almost ashamed of asking rate payers to bail them out yet again?

It is hard for a rate payer to balance exceedingly high rates against services provided (such as they are) just as it is hard to understand that any creditable self-budget would indicate that a high deficit was coming to council rather than a last gasp shock and where to from here.

I am appalled that any rate rising proposition would be proposed to the City's under the pump constituents and can only suggest that council looks elsewhere.

TONY MADDEN, Lismore.

(Lismore Echo letter to the editor)