DESPITE having some reservations about the name, Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors have agreed to investigate having a “watchdog” citizens panel to look over their shoulders when considering annual council budgets.It is too late for the panel to be established for the coming year’s budget and, if followed through, the watchdog panel would work with a new council after the October elections.Chief financial officer Bulent Oz said an alternative could be to name a meeting of the existing citizens panel “a Budget Watchdog session”. Discussing budget performance and financial goals with the Citizens Panel “will provide valuable insights”, he said. “It…
Browsing: budget
A RATEPAYER group has accused Mornington Peninsula Shire of “deliberately” adopting a budget strategy for 2013-14 “designed to mislead the public”. The shire proposes a 5.9 per cent lift in the general rate in the dollar. This does not include the 12.5 per cent hike to a major compulsory charge, the municipal charge. This gives “the appearance of the rate rise being less than 6 per cent”, the Mornington Peninsula Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association says. Calculations show that increasing the municipal charge by $20 to $180 will bring the rates rise to 7.7 per cent. In a letter to the…