CRITICISM of how Wodonga Council arrived at a $2.2 million budget surplus has left mayor Anna Speedie “pretty cranky”.
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She was responding to councillor Tim Quilty who suggested an approach of overstating costs was behind the windfall.
A report which declared a $2,213,511 surplus had been achieved on the 2016-17 budget prompted the exchange at this week’s council meeting.
Cr Quilty said he believed a “large amount” of the surplus “came down to overbudgeting in expenditure” rather than good management.
“Easily half of this $2.2 million surplus is attributable to overstated costs,” he said.
“Our finance team tell us they are conservative and they don’t want to end up in deficit, personally I think they could rely on the culture of cost control for that and cut a bit harder at the time the budget is being prepared.
“I’d much prefer the budget to be close to even than coming up with unbudgeted cash bonanzas at the end of each year.
“It’s ratepayers’ money and if we don’t need it, maybe we shouldn’t be collecting it.”
Cr Quilty also queried $730,000 being held in reserve until 2019-20 to meet the council’s share of upgrading the Lawrence Street House Creek bridge.
Cr Speedie said Cr Quilty’s “sweeping statements” were “not only incorrect but inappropriate”.
“It’s not about tucking money away, it’s actually about making sure we look after our assets for our community,” she said.
“That’s responsible financial management.”
Cr Speedie said councillors needed to rely on experts on bridges, roads and other particulars.
“Councillors this comes back before us, every single time, this is up to us, so to make the aspersion that it’s not is incorrect and quite frankly makes me pretty cranky,” she said.
Some of the surplus has been redirected to other projects.
They include $500,000 to replace tiles at the WAVES swimming centre, $20,000 to erect a 1.8-metre fence to prevent vandalism at the Silva Drive BMX track and $50,000 for consultancy fees for the Gateway Lakes master plan.
Elements that contributed to the surplus included lower spending on salary and superannuation costs ($774,320), waste contract charges ($253,679), staff development ($161,118) and advertising ($138,359).
