Gary Poidevin OAM responded to comments made by Cr Gail Law at last Tuesday’s monthly council meeting where councillors voted unanimously to apply for a Special Rate Variation (SRV) to increase rates by 60 per cent over the next four years.
Cr Law, in a response to David Bott’s address to council on behalf of the Federation Ratepayers Discussion Group, stated that Federation Council is one of the lowest rating NSW councils because former councils over the years didn’t raise rates when they could have.
“Mr Bott noted that if we go ahead with the SRV, we will be one of the highest rated councils in NSW. If we don’t go ahead with the SRV we will remain one of the lowest rated councils in NSW,” Cr Law said.
“Why are we one of the lowest rated councils in NSW? A lot of the farmers that were on council decided that farmers couldn’t afford a rate rise. But we need them.
“Mr Bott also said ‘we need strong leadership’; his father was in our strong leadership when we were one of the lowest rated councils and could’ve raised our rates but didn’t.”
Mr Poidevin who served as a councillor for Corowa Shire for 32 years (1983-2015) including 13 years as mayor was baffled by the remark.
“I don’t know where Councillor Law has her information from,” Mr Poidevin told the Free Press.
“In 1983 when I first came onto council, councillors did not receive any renumeration. We all worked for free to support our towns and communities, not like some councillors today. Money first, community second.
“In 1977, the NSW Government introduced rate pegging which meant they set the amount of rate for each year. Corowa Shire raised the rates 99 per cent of the time by that percentage.”
Mr Poidevin said Corowa Shire Council was healthy under the leadership of former General Manager Bruce Corcoran.
“Just prior to the amalgamation, Corowa Shire had some healthy reserves left after building a new sewerage plant in Mulwala, a new filtration plant in Corowa, a new computer system for council and solar upgrades in the shire,” he said.
“Corowa Shire also took on Howlong from the Hume Shire with no additional financial assistance from the state government.”
Mr Poidevin said Federation Council needed to reflect on their own internal spendings, warning ratepayers that water, sewer and garbage rates have to be added to the rate rises as well.
“I ask the question of Federation Council, is the state average they are referring to the whole state of NSW including coastal NSW or is it, what it should be, of councils of a similar size to ours?” he said.
“The ratepayer’s association are asking for an independent audit of both income and expenditure, I believe this is a good idea at this time.
“I have been told that over the past five years since the amalgamation, the staffing numbers have increased from 143 to 232 today. That’s an increase of 90 plus motor vehicles.”
Mr Poidevin said ratepayers also had to be accountable also for the rate rises.
“Strategic planning is the planning for the wants and needs of the community, but if we got everything we wanted, the world would be broke,” he said.
“The community must take some responsibility for these future rate rises. It is their demands and expectation for future needs that the council is trying to please.”
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