Launceston’s ratepayers were somewhat encouraged last year when the city’s new GM promised a different future in regard to the setting of the city’s rates. For a moment there it looked like that the ‘new broom’ GM was set to make a difference.The promise was that:
• The GM would be presenting the 2011-2012 Budget in draft form to the public; and that
• He would be calling for submissions from ratepayers prior to presenting the budget to Council for the consideration of the 2011-12 Rate.
If that had happened, or is to happen, then ratepayers would welcome the opportunity to contribute to the discourse to do with rate setting in the city. Importantly, this would imply that all wisdom on the matter cannot not reside at Town Hall with the Council officers and Aldermen– a novel idea perhaps.
Sadly when the GM was first tested on his ‘promise’ he came up wanting and seemingly he flicked the issue to an underling. So it seems that it may be a ‘CLAYTON’S PROMISE’ – you know the one you have when you are not delivering on one. Interestingly the underlings are duck shoving the issue and as they say “heading to the hills at 100 mph.”
Henceforth in Launceston perhaps we should be regarding these promises as ‘DOBRZYNSKI PROMISES’ and as a Launcestoian cultural phenomenon – promises made by a GM but not intended to be kept for whatever reason. Indeed, it looks like that this one is not alone and that there are others a waiting in the wings to be brought to light.
However the issue here is, is it the GM who is failing to deliver or is it the Aldermen, or some of them, who are recalcitrant here? As this goes online the good Aldermen are apparently considering a report prepared by the GM. Will the good Aldermen’s support, or otherwise, be unanimous? Whatever, in an election year it will be revealing and likely to be a subject for discussion at the next public budget meeting if there is one.
All the while the city’s ratepayers face the prospect of hefty rate increases based on new valuations that the GM and his financial underlings seem to think are justifiable as a “Wealth Tax” – the bureaucratic understanding of rate collection in support of their salaries and superannuation.
Ratepayers are typically depressed at this time each year thinking about the rate increases they are about to receive and the loss of services they are likely to experience. There is so so much waste and so so much of ratepayers hard earned consigned to the loo. One day this must change and someone must be held to account.
Sadly when the GM was first tested on his ‘promise’ he came up wanting and seemingly he flicked the issue to an underling. So it seems that it may be a ‘CLAYTON’S PROMISE’ – you know the one you have when you are not delivering on one. Interestingly the underlings are duck shoving the issue and as they say “heading to the hills at 100 mph.”
Henceforth in Launceston perhaps we should be regarding these promises as ‘DOBRZYNSKI PROMISES’ and as a Launcestoian cultural phenomenon – promises made by a GM but not intended to be kept for whatever reason. Indeed, it looks like that this one is not alone and that there are others a waiting in the wings to be brought to light.
However the issue here is, is it the GM who is failing to deliver or is it the Aldermen, or some of them, who are recalcitrant here? As this goes online the good Aldermen are apparently considering a report prepared by the GM. Will the good Aldermen’s support, or otherwise, be unanimous? Whatever, in an election year it will be revealing and likely to be a subject for discussion at the next public budget meeting if there is one.
All the while the city’s ratepayers face the prospect of hefty rate increases based on new valuations that the GM and his financial underlings seem to think are justifiable as a “Wealth Tax” – the bureaucratic understanding of rate collection in support of their salaries and superannuation.
Ratepayers are typically depressed at this time each year thinking about the rate increases they are about to receive and the loss of services they are likely to experience. There is so so much waste and so so much of ratepayers hard earned consigned to the loo. One day this must change and someone must be held to account.
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