REMEMBER WHEN

Tuesday July 16, 1985

ANGRY Coast residents shouting abuse at Aldermen were left without any answers when they tried to storm the Mayor’s office during a heated protest about proposed rate increases.

The Mayor, Alderman Denis Pie refused bluntly to discuss any details of the 1985-86 budget and told the vocal residents: “Wait until you see the whole budget in its context. I am not going to break Local Government rules by discussing a budget before it comes down,” he said.

Pie was photographed on The Bulletin’s front page urging people to leave his office. “I’m not saying anything” he said.

Meanwhile, Alderman Athol Paterson was sacked as the city’s finance committee chairman after only three months in the role after supporting a move by Alderman Keith Thompson to redraft the budget so an overall rate increase of less than 10 per cent could be achieved.

Ald. Thompson’s leaked figures showed residents could expect a rate hike of at least 13.1 per cent, the biggest increase in a decade since the mid-1970s.

Ald. Paterson lost his position after a move by the Mayor, Ald. Pie at a finance committee meeting.Committee members Ald. Chris Gibbs and Ald. Peter Webber voted with the Mayor to remove Ald. Paterson.

Ald. Gibbs was elected the new chairman and was announced as the person who would bring down the 1985-86 budget.

The sacking came only minutes after the Mayor and other aldermen were abused by the angry residents protesting outside the mayor’s office.