It's better to be thought a fool...

The lamentable state of our Shire Council is reflected by a situation where someone like Tony Pratico could be Shire President.

Suffice to say he is not cut out for the job, and every time he opens his mouth it is proven.

In today’s Manjimup-Bridgetown Times he attempts to  justify another big rate increase of 5.9 per cent, way above the rate of inflation.  He starts by linking it to cuts in Royalties for Regions, which is a furphy. Those grants have nothing to do with recurrent expenditure and normal Council projects.

Mr Pratico then proves that he does not understand the basic concept of sustainability.  He says: “Councils which have unsustainable rate rises – and I mean very low – get into all sorts of bother and then have to have rate increases of 25 per cent.”

Yoo-Hoo! Mr Pratico?  Something which is sustainable is something which theoretically can go on forever. Rate increases above the rate of inflation are obviously unsustainable.  I’ll explain why…  If you keep charging people more and more every year (in real terms) eventually an ever-increasing proportion of people will be unable to pay. They would be forced to leave and live elsewhere. Think about it.

On the other hand, a rate increase equal or below the rate of inflation is sustainable. To achieve this simply means that ways must be found to spend less. Councillors and staff would have to roll up their sleeves and undertake the task of “living within their means”, by finding ways to do things more efficiently, cutting waste and if necessary cutting back on staff and services which can no longer be considered essential.

But this is too hard. Our lazy Council takes the easy way out every year and simply grabs more money from ratepayers and keeps hiring staff.  The same article in today’s paper says the Shire has hired a new engineering technical officer, another customer-services officer and a community landcare officer (but grants will “help” to pay for this one). And see below how Mr Pratico and the other councillors recently voted in favour of giving themselves big increases on the generous allowances they receive for going to meetings.

What is really unsustainable is to keep doing the same things the same way every year.

What is really unbearable is to have Mr Pratico trotting out pathetic, patronising excuses using big words he doesn't understand.

Spending our money on themselves

The post below and others like it have little impact on our councillors and staff.

The July Council meeting lasted one hour. Each of the councillors was paid $465 for this. Afterwards they adjourned for a ratepayer-funded meal and alcoholic drinks. Every councillor voted in favour of every suggestion by the Council officers. No ideas were put forward by any councillor. Most of the meeting was spent discussing who would go to this year's Local Government Association Annual Meeting in Perth. Six councillors and the CEO will go, at a cost to us ratepayers of $14,000 in meeting fees, accommodation, travel and meals.