Council adopts budget

THE City of Ballarat 2019/20 budget was officially adopted by council last week not without considerable debate.

Councillor Amy Johnson moved an alternative motion at the commencement of the special council meeting requesting a redraft the budget to include a zero per cent rate increase.

Cr Ben Taylor seconded the motion.

Cr Johnson has voted against the budget every year since she has been on council.

“As a councillor over the past seven years my motivation has been to drive efficiencies throughout the organisation,” she said. “I want to limit the financial burden on rate payers due to the council getting larger and larger and employing more and more people.”

She said she was criticised last year for opposing the budget, without having an alternative to offer, before outlining her proposal to save $2.35 million.

“This year I am again opposing the budget and offering an alternative and I’m still being questioned about my motives,” she said. “Council must learn to live within its means. It should not be an expectation to ask our community to contribute more year on year.”

Her alternative motion was met with derision in the council chamber with overall comments of lack of consultation and consideration by Cr Johnson being expressed.

While Cr Mark Harris said he, “has some sympathy with smaller government myself,” and Cr Des Hudson “commend Cr Johnson for sticking to her guns,” the motion was defeated with only Councillors Johnson and Taylor voting in favour.