It's been budgets all round this week, both local government and state government, and next week the federal government will hand down its own.
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The local Ararat Rural City Draft Budget proposes a rate rise of 4.2 per cent, but with the farm differential lowered to 55 per cent - something the farming community has been pushing for for a long time - this could in effect mean actual rate rises across the remainder of the categories of more than seven per cent.
This is sure to spark debate in the community and The Advertiser would be interested in hearing your views.
But please make sure they are informed views, do your research, go online to council's website and read the Budget and Rating Strategy documents in tandem to ensure you fully understand the implications of the proposals.
If you are truly concerned, you should also make a submission to council, because without community feedback, the proposed rate rise and Rating Strategy will be adopted in full. It's up to ratepayers to be informed and make comment.
