Group C: The Ratepayers' Choice
We believe the community is paying too much in rates for too little in services.
We want better value for money for ratepayers and residents.
In just four years, Council has increased annual rates revenue by 39 per cent.
That's an extra $131 Million per year gushing into Council coffers -well in excess of what was needed to address the financial crisis.
Despite this, services continue to deteriorate in priority areas such as roads, water and sewer, determination times for development applications, and numbers of complaints.
And now Council general manager David Farmer says he wants to make permanent the temporary rate hike approved in 2021.
This rate hike was only approved for short term emergency purposes, principally repayment of emergency loans.
There is no justification for extending it once those loans have been repaid.
Instead of slugging ratepayers, we support reforms within Council to improve management, efficiency and culture.
We want greater accountability through smarter targets that better reflect community priorities - including targets to improve efficiency and productivity.
Improvements are needed in organisational culture - especially performance culture and customer culture.
And we want ratepayers' money better aligned with the community's service priorities as determined by consultation.
We support a balanced approach to development.
We acknowledge plans to increase housing supply, and the improvements in infrastructure that must accompany it.
This is needed to improve housing affordability which has led to a generation of young people priced out of housing, and severe mortgage and rental stress for owners and renters alike.
But development must not come at the expense of the environment.
People enjoy living on the Central Coast because of the beaches, bushland, and beautiful green ridges that surround us. This needs to be protected.
We need to get the balance right and for that we need strong elected representation to ensure community views are not overlooked.
As a successful Council Leader from the UK, I believe I can be a strong representative for the Gosford West Ward, and contribute to improved governance for the Central Coast as a whole.
SOURCE:
Media statement, 30 Aug 2024
Kevin Brooks, The Ratepayers' Choice