Public satisfaction with council slips

PUBLIC satisfaction has fallen across key Geelong council areas, the city’s performance indicators show.

Satisfaction with council decisions fell to 48 per cent in 2017, a public survey found.

It was down from 57 per cent and 56 per cent during the previous two years.

The council’s own performance statement puts the blame at the feet of the administrators, who were appointed in May, 2016, after

A key priority of the administrators during their term has been tackling the city’s debt level.

No new loans were drawn down in the year, allowing the debt ceiling to be addressed.

“It’s pleasing to see that our total loan balance — or our debt — has dropped by $9.3 million over the past year to an even more manageable $45.5 million,” chief administrator Kathy Alexander said.

However, the council’s own the sacking of all elected councillors.

“The decline in these results could be due to the dismissal of the city’s council, and a subsequent public reaction to the appointment of administrators,” the report reads. “(It could also be) a perceived loss of community input into council’s decisionmaking processes and governance.”

Public views on the state of the council’s sealed road network also fell below par, to 47 per cent.

The council has responsibility for almost 1800km of sealed roads and 434.5km of unsealed roads.

“The city also faces unprecedented demand for new infrastructure, such as roads, to cope with rising population growth in areas such as Armstrong Creek, Warralily and areas of the Bellarine Peninsula,” the report reads.