At Kingborough Council's AGM last Saturday ratepayers noted the GM earned more than the Premier: "As distasteful as this issue is to air in public, ratepayers have a right to expect that if the GM is rewarded so handsomely, then we need value for money." The Mercury looked Statewide and did some comparisons – AND SOME VERY GOOD WORK.
There is absolutely no justification for 29 Council ripping off ratepayers and paying both Councillors/Aldermen way over the odds for doing way too little.
Arguably the $6.5Mil spent on General Managers is money misspent and the $2Bil/whatever spent on 'Local Govt' could be spent much more productively. The news the some GM's are demanding 'more money' is the stuff of fantasy on their part.
Where are they getting this nonsense about their value?
Likewise, for the most part Councillors are not delivering and they see themselves as being on some kind of sinecure that affords them those 'little extras' in life. Ask most to take a call, answer an email, represent you, do something, as often as not you will be dreaming – sadly.
Arguably the $6.5Mil spent on General Managers is money misspent and the $2Bil/whatever spent on 'Local Govt' could be spent much more productively. The news the some GM's are demanding 'more money' is the stuff of fantasy on their part.
Where are they getting this nonsense about their value?
Likewise, for the most part Councillors are not delivering and they see themselves as being on some kind of sinecure that affords them those 'little extras' in life. Ask most to take a call, answer an email, represent you, do something, as often as not you will be dreaming – sadly.
With a population hovering around 500K what is required is something like a ‘LOCAL GOVERNANCE COMMISSION’ headed up by a Board of Commissioners:
• All appointed and salaried; and• Charged with determining relevant policies and strategies.
It would need an administration delivering local services relative to place. There may be a roll for local representational advocacy groups but ‘governance’ can be much better delivered by a single commission underpinned by appropriate accountability mechanisms – such as citizen's assemblies.
Currently many of the States Councils are dysfunctional and expensive that have become unaccountable bureaucratic fiefdoms essentially.
The claim that General Managers “earn” their salaries, superannuation and packages is the stuff of myths.
It is time for ZERO WASTE in a multi-dimensional sense – in administration and at the 'resource recovery centres'.
It’s time to change. Actually it is way past that time.
It is time for ZERO WASTE in a multi-dimensional sense – in administration and at the 'resource recovery centres'.
It’s time to change. Actually it is way past that time.
THANKS TO THE MERCURY FOR THEIR GOOD WORK
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