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Latrobe City adopts 2003/2004 budget

Latrobe City Council adopted its 2003/2004 budget on Monday 4 August at a Special Council Meeting held at the Council Chamber in Traralgon.

By Latrobe City Council - 7th August 2003 - Back to News

Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Graham Middlemiss, said that the $80m budget continues the responsible and strong financial performance of the City, as previously recognised by Standard & Poors in their AA rating, through the rigorous Audit Committee process and internal audit programs of the City, combined with unqualified external audit reports.

Latrobe City’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Richard Hancock, said that some of the important aspects of the budget included:

- A modest increase of 5.9% to the Council’s general rates income, one of the lowest in the State.

- Planned debt reduction over the five-year plan, even after new borrowings of $3m for the corporate headquarters and $2.35m to fund Council’s unfunded superannuation liability. The budget projects a net borrowing position at 30 June 2004 of $11.7m which compares favourably with the $22m high of 10 years ago.

- Maintenance of existing services and the identification of the key service delivery outcomes that ratepayers will receive during the financial year.

- A $26m capital works program, the highest ever by the City, to maintain existing and build new infrastructure, including Council’s new headquarters.

"I am very pleased to say that Council’s Audit Committee considered the draft budget at its July meeting and resolved that it be recommended to Council for adoption," Mr Hancock said.

"During the 2003/2004 year, Council will review its rating strategy and this will include consultation with a wide range of stakeholder groups in the community," Mr Hancock explained.

Mr Hancock reminded ratepayers that whilst the increase to Council’s general rates income was 5.9% overall, some ratepayers will pay less and others will pay more based on their property value.

The budget papers also provided details of Council’s five-year financial plan that projects very modest rate, fees and charges increases over the period.

"We will be working to further develop the sophistication of our five-year financial model over the course of the financial year," Mr Hancock concluded.

The 2003/2004 budget will be available on the Council’s web site, www.latrobe.vic.gov.au, in the near future.


Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com



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