REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Friday July 19, 1985

POLICE were called in to stand guard at the city council’s $177 million budget meeting to prevent a repetition of the previous week’s wild confrontation between angry ratepayers and aldermen.

And some over-emotional ratepayers were thought likely to be restrained because a special meeting the previous day failed to reduce the anticipated 13.1 per cent rates rise.

If nothing extraordinary happened at that day’s meeting and most aldermen voted for their increase the Gold Coast was to become a city with one of the highest minimum general rates in the state at $236. The existing minimum general rate was not in the top 20.

Two police offices and two council workers stood guard over the Mayor’s and aldermen officers in case angry residents tried to storm the pre-budget meeting but left soon after the 8.30am meeting started because there were no protesting ratepayers.

The meeting was called by Aldermen Keith Thompson, Athol Paterson, Lex Bell and Paul Gamin who were unhappy about the proposed rate rise of 13.1 per cent, which would add at least $70 to the annual rate bill.

A memo from the Town Clerk, Bob Brown, said the meeting would be out of order because it covered a motion lost at the previous week’s council meeting. But Mr Brown later sought a second legal opinion and then withdrew his ruling.

About six police were expected to keep an eye on the meeting, especially since some aldermen received threatening phone calls about the proposed rates increase.