As newly arrived Wodonga residents, we have been reading the waste management levy discussion with interest. Unfortunately, much of the media hype appears to originate from those with only personal interests in the situation, rather than the best interests of Wodonga ratepayers.
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We have just moved from a city where rates were insufficient to maintain municipal services and facilities to a suitable standard. One of the reasons we moved to Wodonga was because the facilities, services and events provided by the City of Wodonga make it a great place to live.
Although the rates we pay in Wodonga are higher than those we previously paid, we get what we pay for, and have no complaints. The services, facilities and events provided by council are first class, and provide a standard of living residents of other town and cities should be envious of. We have no concerns about the current waste management levy, provided surplus funds are redirected to other services which benefit residents. So far that seems to be the case. There appears to be three options:
1. The waste management levy could be reduced so it just covers the cost of services, with no adjustment made to normal rates to offset the reduction. Surplus funds would no longer be available for other purposes, and council would have to reduce other services. But ratepayers would have a few extra dollars in their pockets;
2. The waste management levy could be reduced so it just covers the cost of services, and council could seek approval to increase normal rates above the cap to cover lost revenue, thus ensuring other services can be maintained. The financial effect on ratepayers would be neutral; or
3. Do nothing, which means the waste management levy will continue to be higher than the cost of services. Surplus funds will continue to be available for other services, but the perception of over charging will continue.
I agree with commenters that council should not have allowed the current situation to continue. This rules Option 3 out, and leaves Options 1 and 2. I prefer Option 2, where council seeks approval to increase normal rates to offset reduction in the levy. There would be no impact on ratepayers, and the current level of services could be maintained.
Wodonga residents are proud of their city, and the services, facilities and events provided for them by their city council. The standard of living we enjoy is first class, but this comes at a cost. We need to decide whether we want the current standard of living we enjoy in Wodonga, or an extra few dollars in our pocket.
Either way, we should not be swayed by the current hype generated by people focussed on personal interests rather than the best interests of all residents. Our choice should be based on the standard of living we want in Wodonga, then we should be prepared to pay for it.
Wayne Delahoy, Wodonga
Poor form by big business
It has been an eye opener to most people what has come out of the Royal Commission and dare I say that it seems to me that in most high-profile business operations, this kind of behaviour is the norm. The words integrity and honesty are no longer acceptable and greed is the mantra in our political system as well. How often do we see our leaders trying to defend the indefensible? Our country is not the United States.