At a Special Budget Meeting on 29 June the majority of City of Port Phillip Councillors voted to increase rates by 1.75%. Last year in the middle of a Covid epidemic Councillors increased rates by 1.5% and this year with the highest cost of living increases in many years, they increased them again. Councillors who voted for a rate rise: Cr Heather Cunsolo, Cr Louise Crawford, Cr Peter Martin, Cr Katherine Copsey & Cr Tim Baxter. Those who voted against it were Cr Clark, Cr Christina Sirakoff, Cr Andrew Bond & Mayor Marcus Pearl.

The only positive for residents was motion passed by Councillors requesting Council Officers to identify options for ongoing cost reductions that would enable Council to consider adopting a 0% rates increase in financial year 2023/24. Cr Tim Baxter and Cr Katherine Copsey voted against this motion. Cr Crawford voted for the motion and suggested that any savings could potentially be used to fund projects that were not fully funded.

The CEO is required to identify cost saving options by the end of November 2022 for implementation in the 2023/24 budget.

Council does not have to cut essential services to achieve a rates freeze. Council must stop wasteful spending and identify efficiencies to bring Port Phillip rates into line with other councils. It is disappointing that efficiencies could not be identified for the 2022/23 year and rates are set to rise again this year.    

Is it too much to ask Councillors to actually vote for savings that would reduce the rates for residents who already pay some of the highest rates across Melbourne due to the high expenditure by council and Councillors?