Council Rates

story in ‘the WEST’

LOCAL councils are bumping up taxes without being accountable to the people.

The Premiers Parliamentary Secretary, Mark McGowan has also accused councils of not being open to scrutiny on what they pay chief executives.

it is hard to track down the actuall rate increases accross the state as there is no central reporting of the rates and taxes imposed by local governments.

the only way was to call each individual council or scan thier websites.

the inflation rate in PERTH in the past financial year was 2.78% but all 12 councils that published rate increases on-line were above inflation ( last time we checked ours they beat inflation every year)

Bassendean 4.9%
Canning & shark Bay 3%
Claremont & Subiaco 3.7%
Joondalup 3.5%
Stirling 4.71%
Pt Hedland 6%
Narrogin 5%
Augusta-Margeret River 4.5%
Irwin 5%
Vincent 5.71%

In 2003-2004 23 councils had thier rates avialable on websites..
14 showed increases above inflation
5 were equal or slightly above
and only 4 below it.

However looking back
in 2001-2002
Town of Cambridge increased rates levy by 36%
Town of Cottosloe increased rates levy by 34%
City of Melville increased rates levy by 25%

“these increases seem to go through unnoticed and unscrutinized” said Mr Mcgowan who believes there should be a central reporting requirement for all councills to open them up to scrutiny.

How does your Council Rate ??

REDWING

“The man that thinks at 5o as he did when he was 20 has wasted 30 years of his life”