HORSHAM Rural City Council has adopted its $50 million 2019-20 Budget with no amendments.
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Councillors passed a motion at the council's June meeting on Monday night to adopt the Budget along with supporting documents.
Ratepayers will contribute $27 million to cover the Budget.
Total revenue for the council in 2019-20 will be $57.7 million, while expenditure will be $54.2 million. The council has budgeted for a surplus of $3.4 million.
The council has budgeted to receive $20.9 million in general rates in 2019-20, subject to the council's general rate cap of 2.25 per cent. This is 3.81 per cent or $768,205 more than 2018-19.
Residential ratepayers will pay $12.6 million in rates, which is 9.19 per cent or $1.06 million more than 2018-19.
Rural ratepayers will pay $5.77 million in rates, which is a decrease of 5.83 per cent or $357,695 from the previous financial year.
Commercial ratepayers will pay $1.65 million in rates, while industrial ratepayers will fork out $844,750.
This year annual revaluations will be conducted, rather than every second year.
In his report to the council, corporate services director Graeme Harrison said final valuations for properties had been finalised.
"There has been no change from the draft budget, so there are no changes to the rates in the dollar on any property sector," he said in the report.
The council will lose $46,900 in revenue due to the decision to lower the municipal charge from $287 to $280.
The total revenue of rates and charges will be $27.5 million for 2019-20, or 47.8 per cent of all revenue. This is an increase from 2018-19's total of $26.7 million.
Other revenue comes from municipal charges, waste management charges, and supplementary rates and rate adjustments.
Horsham councillors passed the council's rating strategy and policy in April, following the independent Rates Strategy Advisory Committee's Rating Strategy Review.
Rates were a contentious issue for the council in 2018-19 after breakdown saw residential rates decrease by 0.6 per cent, while farm rates increased by 11.8 per cent.
See council's June 2019 meeting agenda below
The 2019-20 Budget includes $20.3 million for capital works, $9.8 million for renewal works, $1.6 million for asset upgrades and $8.8 million for new assets.
The Budget was released for community consultation in April with only two formal submissions received.
Councillor Pam Clarke said the council had been through a significant amount of consultation before adopting its Budget.
She said Budget highlights included $70,000 to replace the Horsham Town Hall's Heritage Hall floor; $4.82 million for country roads; $1.78 million for urban roads; and $3.3 million for Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange roofing.
Cr Josh Koenig said it was disappointing to see only two formal submissions were received.
"Council is out there trying to get everyone to have their say, so over the next 12 months I'd like to think that everybody in the community is happy with the Budget," he said.
The motion passed unanimously.
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