Work, wages, deficit in draft budget

More than $14-million in capital works, a decrease in staff wages and turning an underlying deficit into a surplus are some of the features of a 2019-20 Ararat Rural City Council draft budget.

The Ararat council endorsed the draft budget at a special meeting last week and released it for public comment. People can make submissions on the draft until 5.15pm on June 7.

Council chief executive Tim Harrison said this year’s budget was about investing in the community.

“We have taken the council back to

basics – we have reduced staff costs and increased road and capital works expenditure, all in an effort to improve the council’s financial sustainability,” he said.

Dr Harrison said the draft budget included a 2.5 percent rate rise, in line with the State Government’s Fair Go Rates System, which capped Victorian local government rate rises to 2.5 percent each year.

The rise comes after a zero rate rise across the municipality last year.

“The council is mindful to keep rate rises within the cap, but it is important that rates rise by 2.5 percent each year to ensure inflationary impacts do not erode our capacity to manage recurrent expenditure or deliver infrastructure and services to the community,” he said.

Dr Harrison said the draft budget was available on the council’s website, www.ararat.vic.gov.au, and from its office at 59 Vincent Street, Ararat.

He said the council would have another special meeting on June 11 to hear public submissions on the draft budget.

People must make submissions in writing and indicate in the submission if they wish to speak at the meeting.

They can post a submission to Ararat Rural City Council, PO Box 246, Ararat, 3377, email it to council@ararat. vic.gov.au, or drop it at the council office.

The council will consider the budget for adoption at its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 25.

The draft budget includes: • $14.689 million on capital works including: $350,000 for an Elmhurst Hall redevelopment; $400,000 for female-friendly amenities at Willaura Recreation Reserve; $750,000 for upgrades to Buangor-ben Nevis Road; $909,000 on bridge upgrades; and $50,000 on rural halls upgrades. • A $534,000 reduction in a salary budget. • A surplus of $3.214-million with an underlying result of a $155,000 deficit – an improvement from a deficit of $3.873-million last year. • A doubling of grants to hall committees and recreation reserves to $58,600. • $959,763 for arts, culture and heritage.