Should Lismore cut the number of councillors?

THE council could save $47,000 a year to help save the CBD if it slashes the number of elected representatives.

COUNCIL MEETING: At tomorrow's meeting Cr Greg Bennett will put forward a notice of motion suggesting the number of councillors be reduced from 11 to nine in order to save money. Picture: Alison Paterson

THE number of councillors on Lismore City Council should be cut to help save the declining CBD.

That's the view of Cr Greg Bennett, who has put forward a notice of motion for tomorrow night's meeting that proposes to reduce the number of elected representatives by two.

It would leave the council with nine councillors instead of 11.

He said the move would save the council money, which could then be injected into the city centre and be used to alleviate skyrocketing business rates.

But Cr Bennett admitted the idea was not a silver bullet for the CBD - the financial benefits of the change would not be felt until 2024 and other measures would also need to be adopted.

"You need something permanently cut if is is something not to affect other ratepayers," he said.

"The only thing we can achieve this is to cut councillors."

But the council's finance and governance manager, Rino Santin, said the entire process, if approved by the council, would take time.

In the business papers released ahead of the meeting, Mr Santin wrote: "If a constitutional referendum was held in conjunction with the next ordinary election (September 2020) and a favourable outcome achieved, the application of the reduced number of councillors would apply at the next ordinary election (September 2024)."

He noted the estimated cost to hold a constitutional referendum at the next ordinary election was about $20,000 - less than 10 per cent of the estimated cost to hold a constitutional referendum on a day other than the next ordinary election ($240,000), while estimated savings from a reduction in the number of councillors by two was about $47,000 per annum.

On the Northern Rivers, Ballina Shire Council has 10 councillors, while Kyogle Council and Byron Shire each have nine.

Will Lismore councillors agree to reduce numbers?

Mayor Isaac Smith: MAYBE. "It's a small costs saving in the scheme of things, but I think it's worth discussing."

Deputy Mayor Vanessa Ekins: NO. "I feel its really important to have representation for our community, being a councillor is a big job, not well paid but really important."

Gianpiero Battista: MAYBE. "It depends on the reason why because I think we can govern with nine councillors but it's not good for the CBD because we need to move more quickly."

Elly Bird: NO. "I don't support this... it feels like it's a band-aid solution to a more serious problem."

Nancy Casson: YES. "I think this is fantastic idea... I think there will be a line-up for being chosen."

Neil Marks: NO. "At the end of my first term in 2012 the electoral commission asked us if we wanted to lower numbers and we made the decision to say no."

All Lismore councillors were contacted for comment.