The Council's 'budget people' deliberately present the figures in a format designed and devised to "keep the public out of our hair". A simplified and all inclusive 'line item format' would be friendlier and it would contribute to better understandings.
However, hell is likely to freeze over before 'Town Hall Functionaries' will ever facilitate anything like what is required. So, it is up to the elected representatives.
"Too much work" I hear the cry. In the real world the retort to that is "if it's too bloody hot in the kitchen you can .... ". After all, Council employs 580 people doing all kinds of things and if budget presentation and articulation is not your thing then there is other work to be done in Town Hall and indeed elsewhere.
The first comment to be made about 'Council budget processes' is that they are COST CENTRE oriented and functionaries are wedded to the concept. Consequently, when costs go up, or are escalated from within, income must be found within the budget to cover them. Councils have the easiest of all solutions here ... CONSCRIPT IT.
STEP 1. Increase rates and charges to cover projected increases in expenditure/costs.
STEP 2. Spend every last cent in accord with budget allocation
STEP 3. Assess expenditure patterns and outcomes and argue for increased allocations going forward.
Bureaucratic survival is the imperative, nothing more, nothing less.
Moreover, Councils have the capacity to recover unpaid rates and if rates remain unpaid they'll 'sell you up' as was the case recently in Tasmania with 'The Honey Farm' near Mole Creek. So, the baseline assumption being, budgets are secure and offer security, so why change?
Well, in a 21st C context it is feasible to consider, and implement, a 'Community Enterprise Model' and possibly underpin elements of 'service provision' on a 'shared ownership cooperative' model. Local Govt. does not need to structured on 'cost centre modelling' and various element in current Council operations could be, arguably should be, removed from the bureaucratic operation of the council.
There is a quite long list of operations within the jurisdiction of the City of Launceston with the potential to be reimagined OUTSIDE council's cost centre modelling and say 'corporatised'.
A prime candidate for 'reimagination' would be the WASTE MANAGEMENT CENTRE – the place in Launceston where vast quantities of resource is being sent to be 'wasted'.
That 'facility' could/should be reimagined as a RESOURCE RECOVERY CENTRE; corporatised; become income reoriented; and thus become a 'contracted Community Enterprise Service Provider'. Such an 'enterprise' would be doing whatever it takes to generate income required to cover costs and to meet community demands/expectations.
This could well become the model for other 'divisions'.
We do not have to listen too hard to hear the squeals emanating from 'the operational wing' telling us out loud that "we are the experts and the city needs us". Well maybe, but then again where was all that 'expertise' with the CITY HEART PROJECT and all its over budget expenditures, shonky contracting, sloppy planning, etc. etc.?
The city is at the point where there is a need to cut a significant percentage from the 'operational budget'. Many of the services citizens required can be better delivered by 'operations' other than council's. Indeed, the assumption that 'the council is the only logical provider' by default is no longer the way things work.
Cutting to the chase, rather than trying to justify a 'rate rise' this Council needs to be aiming to redirect spending towards increasing the value of delivered services. In 2014 Melbourne initiated a 'People’s Panel' otherwise known as Citizen's Juries/Assemblies elsewhere – ACT, South Australia, NSW, UK.
In Melbourne 43 randomly selected Melburnians made up a People's Panel. It was formed to make recommendations to Council on its spending and revenue strategy over the next decade. Ae diverse group of residents and ratepayers were given open access to information, expert opinion and financial data to inform the panel's recommendations.
The sky has not fallen in anywhere a Council has gone to and engaged with 'the people'. By all accounts, value has been added to community life and 'governance is stronger'.
So who are the detractors? For whatever reason 'council staff' see themselves as losing out – most often for inexplicable reasons.
Now is the time for Launceston to task such an panel/jury/assembly with reimaging the city's budget and where required the city's Strategic Plan. These things are not the preserve of some self appointed cabal at Town Hall deeming themselves as 'the experts'.
On the evidence before the community, Council is planning more, and more, and more of the same old, same old..... IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE
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From The Examiner ... https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5958144/city-of-launceston-council-to-get-public-feedback-on-budget/
Public comment is expected to be sought on the City of Launceston council's draft 2019/20 budget. At its meeting on Thursday, the council will vote on whether it will release the budget for comment............ The budget includes more than $20 million of capital projects, and $1.5 million of major operational projects. Council's fees will also be discussed, with most planned to be increased by 2.8 per cent. However, dog fees are set for a 12 per cent increase and burial pricing increased by 15 per cent to bring them into line with other councils............ About $370,000 is planned to be spent on the Launceston Aquatic Centre............ A central business district bin roll out is expected to cost $200,000............ More than $403,000 will be spent on the Princess Theatre and $202,500 for the museums. Town Hall is in for a million-dollar upgrade............ A whopping $3.55 million will be spent on upgrades to UTAS Stadium............ For the Northern suburbs, a $240,000 public toilet upgrade is proposed for Ravenswood and $80,000 on CCTV for Mowbray. The cemetery would get a $195,000 upgrade............A $30,000 pound rebuild design project is also proposed............ On-street parking meters are set for $500,000 upgrades and off-street parking venues, such as the Paterson Street West car park, are getting $415,000 in the draft plan............ More than $3.3 million would be spent on roads............ Female changerooms at Youngtown, Rocherlea would be upgraded and Invermay Park, but is being partly funded by grants. Reimagining the Cataract Gorge also has $250,000 budgeted. ........... The council meeting will be held at 1pm on Thursday at the Town Hall............ OTHER PROJECTS: ........... Roads • Lindsay Street/Invermay Traffic signals: $1m........... • North Bank/Lindsay St project: $250,000 Launceston Aquatic ........... • External sign: $25,000 ........... • Learn to Swim office relocation: $80,000 ........... • Barbecue and shade upgrade: $60,000 ........... • Internal finishes, fitting: $60,000 ........... • Plant equipment: $60,000 ........... • PA system: $85,000............ Princess Theatre and the Earl Arts Centre ........... • Princess Theatre and Earl Arts safety compliance project: $179,000 ........... • Fly tower roof replacement: $44,000 ........... • Wireless comms project: $65,000 ........... • Bio box upgrade: $38,500 ........... • Foyer lift access renewal: $44,000 ........... • Earl Arts Centre air conditioner switchboard: $33,000............ Parking • On-street parking machine upgrade: $500,000........... • Bathurst Street car park resurface: $165,000........... • Patterson Street West lift and CCTV: $250,000............ UTAS Stadium........... • Turf resurfacing: $2.8m........... • PA speaker upgrade: $250,000........... • Car park works: $500,000 grant............ City of Launceston councillors will vote on whether to release the budget for public comment for a four-week period on Thursday. If passed, public submissions would close at 5pm on April 18, for consideration in May and adoption in June.
Public comment is expected to be sought on the City of Launceston council's draft 2019/20 budget. At its meeting on Thursday, the council will vote on whether it will release the budget for comment............ The budget includes more than $20 million of capital projects, and $1.5 million of major operational projects. Council's fees will also be discussed, with most planned to be increased by 2.8 per cent. However, dog fees are set for a 12 per cent increase and burial pricing increased by 15 per cent to bring them into line with other councils............ About $370,000 is planned to be spent on the Launceston Aquatic Centre............ A central business district bin roll out is expected to cost $200,000............ More than $403,000 will be spent on the Princess Theatre and $202,500 for the museums. Town Hall is in for a million-dollar upgrade............ A whopping $3.55 million will be spent on upgrades to UTAS Stadium............ For the Northern suburbs, a $240,000 public toilet upgrade is proposed for Ravenswood and $80,000 on CCTV for Mowbray. The cemetery would get a $195,000 upgrade............A $30,000 pound rebuild design project is also proposed............ On-street parking meters are set for $500,000 upgrades and off-street parking venues, such as the Paterson Street West car park, are getting $415,000 in the draft plan............ More than $3.3 million would be spent on roads............ Female changerooms at Youngtown, Rocherlea would be upgraded and Invermay Park, but is being partly funded by grants. Reimagining the Cataract Gorge also has $250,000 budgeted. ........... The council meeting will be held at 1pm on Thursday at the Town Hall............ OTHER PROJECTS: ........... Roads • Lindsay Street/Invermay Traffic signals: $1m........... • North Bank/Lindsay St project: $250,000 Launceston Aquatic ........... • External sign: $25,000 ........... • Learn to Swim office relocation: $80,000 ........... • Barbecue and shade upgrade: $60,000 ........... • Internal finishes, fitting: $60,000 ........... • Plant equipment: $60,000 ........... • PA system: $85,000............ Princess Theatre and the Earl Arts Centre ........... • Princess Theatre and Earl Arts safety compliance project: $179,000 ........... • Fly tower roof replacement: $44,000 ........... • Wireless comms project: $65,000 ........... • Bio box upgrade: $38,500 ........... • Foyer lift access renewal: $44,000 ........... • Earl Arts Centre air conditioner switchboard: $33,000............ Parking • On-street parking machine upgrade: $500,000........... • Bathurst Street car park resurface: $165,000........... • Patterson Street West lift and CCTV: $250,000............ UTAS Stadium........... • Turf resurfacing: $2.8m........... • PA speaker upgrade: $250,000........... • Car park works: $500,000 grant............ City of Launceston councillors will vote on whether to release the budget for public comment for a four-week period on Thursday. If passed, public submissions would close at 5pm on April 18, for consideration in May and adoption in June.
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