The City of Canning council has voted almost unanimously to advertise a rate rise of 4.65 per cent, despite avoiding a 44 per cent increase in Western Power charges, as it lurches towards recovery from a period of widespread financial mismanagement.
The city’s proposed differential rating 2023-2024, endorsed for advertising at last Tuesday night’s council meeting, will see minimum residential rates rise from $952 to $1002.
That increase could have been exceptionally worse, had the State’s Economic Regulation Authority not knocked down Western Power’s bid for a rise in charges from near 44 per cent to just seven per cent.
Deputy Mayor Ben Kunze, in supporting putting the rates out for public advertising, suggested further savings could be achieved.
“I support advertising the 4.65 per cent increase at this stage so that council can make a decision when we come to budget time,” he said.
“We can’t advertise a zero per cent increase and then subsequently increase it when we realise we can’t identify the savings.
“We can advertise a 4.65 per cent and then work on the budget in the coming months and then bring it down as we identify savings.
“Look there’s more discussion to be had and I fully agree … that we need to identify as many savings as we can to reduce impact on ratepayers.”
Councillor Hardeep Singh drew the ire of Mayor Patrick Hall by attempting to move an alternative motion, a motion that Mr Hall refused to consider.
Cr Singh’s motion was then put forward as a foreshadowed motion, with residential rates staying the same as 2022/23 at $952, achieved by requesting executive officer Michael Littleton provide a list of projects worth $5 million or more which are best suited to be delayed or cancelled without affecting any mandatory services provided by the city.
The Mason Ward councillor said he could not believe that $5 million in savings could not be easily found.
“It’s not a big amount to find that money at all,” he said.
“We’ve got a $125 million operating expenditure in total last year including the capital expenditure we were talking about $170 million of spending and we can’t even find two million dollars to cut our spending on?
“If we stop the rates increase that’s the only figure we need to find.”
Cr Singh’s foreshadowed motion never had a chance, with councillors voting 10-1 to put the rates increase out to public advertising.
Submissions on the proposed rates can be made online via the City’s Your Say page from May 24 or by mail to the City of Canning before 5pm, Thursday June 15.
Submissions will be collated and considered by Council at the special council meeting on June 27
