Ararat Rural City residents on new ‘Council Rating Strategy Jury’ want cost savings and more equitable rates burden

The Jury was provided with a report from the Rating Strategy Advisory Group who has been meeting since December last year. 

The advisory group and Jury marks a new way for Council to engage with the people of Ararat Rural City on important topics that affect everyone in the municipality.

Jurors were asked by Ararat Rural City chief executive Allan Bawden, who was in attendance to answer questions throughout the weekend, to consider the report provided to them and answer ‘which rating option from the Rating Strategy Advisory Group is the most fair and equitable for Ararat?’.

They were further asked Could you draw on different aspects of each to reach a model which earns greater support?’

While jurors had a specific scope to work to over the weekend, the topic of council’s budget was at the front of mind for many of them. 

A general concern expressed by members of the group was that they felt the overall rate burden for all rate payers is too high. 

The final report made recommendations to both council and the state government to make changes.

Jury members said there has been some challenges to arriving at their decisions due to some unknowns going forward. 

These include future expected valuations and possible changes to the Local Government Act. 

“We would like to see Council undertake an external audit into the fiscal health to try to extract cost savings and increase efficiencies of operations with a view to lowering the overall rates burden, to more evenly distribute the rates,” jury member Scott Norman said,

Jury member Rick Westgarth said “Although at times the process was frustrating and the time constraints were challenging, it was a great process to be a part of. 

“It was also very positive to see that council is so interested to engage the residents through this process. 

“I think it was really encouraging how so many people came together with a mutual goal of trying to find some solutions to such a complex issue”.

At the end of the Jury deliberations a presentation was made to Councillors which the Rating Strategy

Advisory Group were also invited to observe. 

Acting mayor cr Gwenda Allgood said she admired the pople who put their hand up for the jury,

“It’s a very big task and big learning curve”. 

Cr Allgood also said she was very proud to see all 6 Councillors in attendance to hear the feedback in person.

25 people from across the municipality were selected randomly after registering to participate in the Jury.