MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire CEO John Baker has ended a bid by Cr Hugh Fraser to have the council take a step back and reject a budget adopted at its 23 June meeting.
Cr Fraser had sought to overturn decisions which included abolishing the contentious rural living rate and excluded the fees and charges schedule.
However, Mr Baker last week used his powers to block Cr Fraser’s plan, last month’s resolution had already been put into motion and a statutory process commenced. “Accordingly, I consider this matter to be outside the powers of council and vague and unclear,” he said.
Cr Fraser had wanted council to stand by the draft 2020/21 budget adopted on 23 March.
He said the CEO’s decision was “denying council the opportunity to debate and adopt that draft budget on 14 July and get on with the capital works and priority projects and other council spending provided in that 23 March draft budget”.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 14 July 2020
