ARARAT Rural City Council will consider a submission to its 2016-17 draft budget to review its differential rating system at its next meeting on June 28.
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The draft budget was put out for public comment before submissions from ratepayers were discussed at a special meeting of council on Tuesday.
Resident David Hopkirk said councillors were not best placed to decide rate levels for business, farm and residential properties.
“It would take the removal of bias to a new level,” he said.
“We would get a better outcome for ratepayers.”
Council has a maximum amount of rates it can draw on from ratepayers.
Differential rates set out how much each landowner must pay based on the value of their farm, business or residential property.
Council chief executive Andrew Evans said farmers paid about 55 cents on the dollar in rates, compared to businesses which paid $1.60.
“We are the third most generous council in the state in terms of differential farm rates,” he said.
In his submission to council’s public feedback Mr Hopkirk said he disagreed with the concept that everyone should contribute equally to fund a basket of council services.
“Surely the strength of community can be gauged by the contribution stronger, more financial members are able to make towards the prosperity and growth of the community,” he said.
“On the farm differential rates are 55 per cent.
“I am critical of the subjective process and bias of councillors who determined these rates.
“I ask council and council management to support such an equitable revision and that it be included for discussion in the current local government act review.”
Horsham Rural City Council charges farmers bout 43 cents on the dollar in rates.
Farmers there have been slugged an extra 6.4 percent in rates after cultural and recreational land rates were slashed by 41.6 per cent.
The base rate for Horsham increased just 4.1 per cent.
McKenzie Creek farmer Neville McIntyre said some Wimmera farmers had not had any income for two years and did not deserve an increase in their rates.
“If you owned a business in Horsham that makes a similar income you’d be paying less,” he said.
“We are penalised because of the land we have to have to make an income.
“Council dropped the rate on the dollar by 6.4 per cent and all those low income earners are not going to have their houses valued up so they will get a reduction in rates and farmers will pay for it.”
He said similar sized farms in West Wimmera Shire paid only two thirds what Horsham area farmers paid.
