Positive Steps by Council

At its meeting today Council considered a report from the Corporate Services Manager outlining actions Council needed to take to ensure it continues to remain debt free and with cash in the bank. 

Council was dismayed by the effects of revaluation on rates requirements, in that the funding of depreciation increases significantly when valuations of assets go up, and noted that much of the deficit in recent years has arisen because Council chose to fund extra depreciation over time rather than all at once, so that it could mitigate the effect on ratepayers. 

The report contained ten recommendations, all of which Council agreed to implement.

These include:
• A “root and branch” review of all of Council’s activities,
• Being more ruthless when asked to fund significant items during
the year,
• A review of the Revenue and Financing Policy.
The Corporate Services Manager said that Council is in a good position
relative to many other Councils, but because of increasing pressure from
growth and compliance costs, needed to take action to ensure it continued in
a good position.