Roads, surplus and more on council candidate’s agenda

Mark Edwards is best known as Roma’s last orange grower and a local accountant, now he is running for council, and hopes to help it spend smarter.

MARK Edwards is a firm believer that there is always room for improvement, and that belief is part of the reason he is running for Maranoa Regional Council.

The local accountant, and Roma's last orange grower, has put his hat in the ring for the 2020 local government elections, on a platform of road improvements, creating greater efficiencies in council, boosting the local economy, and creating a better surplus in the budget.

Mr Edwards told The Western Star he plans to thoroughly research council policies and finances should he take office, and find ways to make ratepayers dollars go further in the community.

"This council could do a better job at creating a surplus; as an accountant that is my opinion, because there is always room for improvement," he said.

"We have got a $80 million budget, and if you talk in terms of percentages: if you can show even one per cent to sensitivity analysis, that is a lot of money - especially in small towns like ours, and what that does in enable us to put more back in to the community."

Within the realm of finances, he is also a passionate advocate for buying locally - including within the council.

"When you buy and operate locally, you create demand within that community, and if you spend $100, that could turn in to as much as $400 - it is a thing called the local multiplier effect," Mr Edwards said.

"As an accountant, that is my big thing, and I feel I've got to bring that knowledge to Council.

"From a council perspective, you can't always use a local supplier, but I think you've got to look at each case on its merits - perhaps through a policy we have to look at every time to determine the best way to go.

"I know this has been looked at before, and everyone looks at it, but I feel that common sense has to prevail."

Mr Edwards is looking to take that common sense approach not only to finance and business, but general operations in Council.

He believes it will be possible to cut spending, while delivering better services to ratepayers around the region.

Taking notes from how councils used to operate pre-amalgamation, his big idea is to spread skilled workers around the region to quickly and efficiently solve problems like potholes or roadkill, water mains, and other council-owned facilities.

"I want to reduce spending, and it doesn't mean cutting jobs or services - it means trying to streamline things and make them more efficient," Mr Edwards said.

"It is something we do all the time on the farm (Rosedale), businesses do it, everyone does it, so I don't see why Council shouldn't do it.

"Before amalgamation, if there was a pothole you could get it fixed without going through the rigmarole of putting in a request and waiting months for it to happen - I am talking about those things.

"While I won't know the whole process of the current council until I get in, the former councils were quite good in the way they used to get things done."

If services can be streamlined, Mr Edwards is hopeful more roads around the region could not only be repaired, but more could also be sealed.

He claims roads are the biggest complaint among fellow ratepayers he has spoken to.

Mr Edwards is also an advocate for a rates freeze, greater communication between Council and residents, transparency, and ensuring fellow councillors have a comprehensive understanding of all issues put before them in the chamber.

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