An independent audit of the Council is indicated because:
LCC expends over $110 m p.a. yet provides very little detailed information on its budget reports, frequently acts behind closed doors and declares it's actions confidential so neither businesses nor the public can be sure where their rate and tax dollars have been spent.
Requests from concerned community members and businesses are frequently met with no response, claims of secrecy and other claims in which the desired information is not revealed. As a result of these kinds of maneuvres and the sheer scale of the Council's spending, trust appears to be at a low point. Community and business suspicions of cosiness, bias, waste, favouritism and so forth can all be settled with an independent audit.
Many in the community, whether in business or not, are doing it tough in the face of income and other restrictions which may remain for weeks of months. Council's expenditures must be met from a diminishing pool of both rates and taxes consequently an independent audit would form a solid and trustworthy base for any future cuts to Council budgets or service reductions or both.
It will be easier for Council to be seen to live up to its values if an independent audit is carried out before budgetary pressures increase. Furthermore such an audit will serve as a basis of stability and rationality that will make sense to businesses and citizens.
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