Kiama Council: Mark Croxford calls for reduction in number of councillors for efficiency, cost cuts
A Kiama councillor is calling for the number of elected officials to be slashed almost by half, in a bid to cut costs and improve council efficiency. Have your say and vote in the poll.
Illawarra Star
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A Kiama councillor is calling for the number of elected officials to be slashed almost by half, in a bid to cut costs and improve council efficiency.
Mark Croxford said lowering the number of people who could be elected at the 2028 election would lead to better decision-making, result in cost savings which would be reallocated to the community, and optimise the ratio of councillors to residents.
“After carrying out comprehensive research on the matter, it is clear that the number of residents for each Kiama councillor is significantly lower than our neighbouring councils, and councils which are grouped in the same Office of Local Government classification as Kiama,” he said.
Mr Croxford predicted if the number of councillors was reduced to seven, as he recommends, he would generate an estimated annual savings of $43,460 on councillor costs alone and noted the saved funds could go toward community services and infrastructure projects.
“According to ‘Your Council’ published government data for the 2021 financial year Wollongong has one councillor for every 16,637 residents, Shellharbour has one councillor for every 8695 residents and Shoalhaven has one councillor for every 8417 residents,” Mr Croxford said. “By comparison, Kiama has one councillor for every 2598 residents.”
The Kiama LGA has an estimated population of 22,925 people, according to the 2021 census.
A spokesman for the Office of Local Government said any suggestion of cutting the number of councillors would need to be considered by Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig.
However, Mr Hoenig said the issue of determining how many councillors sat on the Kiama Council needed to be debated by the ratepayers before the proposal reaches his desk.
“Councils can vary their number of councillors with the support of their community via a constitutional referendum,” he said. “It’s therefore a matter for the Kiama community to determine how many councillors they should have.”
The many steps needed for the proposal to become a reality is not lost on Mr Croxford, who said he was aware much needed to happen.
The first step sees the motion lodged in council, as Mr Croxford has already done. From there, the motion will be put out for a 42-day public consultation period.
“Any submissions received during the period will help to inform the decision-making process,” Mr Croxford said.
Kiama Council will then vote on the motion and if passed, it will be provided to Mr Hoenig for consideration.
“The matter is then passed on to the NSW Election Commission for necessary action to enable a referendum question to be put to Kiama voters at the 2024 local government elections,” Mr Croxford said.
Kiama residents can submit feedback for the proposal on the Kiama Municipal Council website.
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