Council votes against rates advisory committee

The rates advisory committee was formed in April 2021 to enable direct community engagement to be sought and to help to harmonise the rating structure between the former Corowa and Urana Shire Councils, as required following the 2016 amalgamation.

The committee was to advise the general fund rating structure and provide input into any future special rate variations.

It was intended the committee operate for four years to get an understanding of the rating framework and provide input into the council’s rating strategy.

“For transparency and due process, it is important that the rates advisory committee be reformed,” Cr Schoen said.

General manager Adrian Butler said due to mixed feedback and having no further constructive purpose, council resolved to dissolve the rates advisory committee in July 2024, obtaining legal advice about how to manage the minutes of a committee which passed a motion of no confidence in the council operating outside its terms of reference.

“Council was advised to ensure all advisory committees were contained within council’s code of meeting practice - at the time they were not - as this could more effectively ensure even robust conversations were respectful, chaired well and outcomes could,” Mr Butler said.

“These committees are now covered in council’s current code of meeting practice.”

Cr Schoen said the council had the right to decide on the make-up of the committee and for it to be broad based.

“It’s important to have it set up in six to eight months so it can be operational for next year,” he said.

Cr David Bott seconded Cr Schoen’s motion saying the community was against the proposed Special Rate Variation due to cost-of-living pressures.

He said the rates advisory committee made a valuable contribution and could enhance transformity of council information to, and communication with the community.

Cr Harrison said the process would need to be tightly controlled as council staff had been harassed during meetings.

Deputy mayor Rowena Black told the meeting she had attended one of the rates advisory committee meetings and did not appreciate the mood or tone of the meeting.

She said if the committee was resumed, she expected to see the same faces and did not envisage the mood changing.

‘We’ve been in a negative environment,” Cr Black said.

“We’ve been elected as councillors and (we) talk to the public about rates.”