Increased costs force up rates

By Paul Pickering
KNOX City Council will tonight adopt its proposed 2007-08 budget to be subsequently released for public consultation.
As flagged by the recently adopted Long Term Financial Strategy, the budget will include a total rate increase of 6.62 per cent rate, including a 2 per cent infrastructure levy.
The council says 4.24 per cent of that rise is caused by the projected increased cost of providing services and a further 0.38 per cent rate will partially fund Knox’s $1.2 million expenditure on climate change initiatives.
Of that figure, Knox will spend $60,000 on developing a behavioural change program aimed at educating residents and businesses about how they can effect change in their everyday lives.
The infrastructure levy will facilitate a $1.34 million increase in spending on asset renewal over the 2006-07 financial year.
Knox’s total capital spending will also increase by $1.14 million in the coming year. The Ferntree Gully community will see the realisation of two long-coveted capital works projects in 2007-08, with a $140,000 upgrade to Alpine Street public toilet facilities and $120,000 being spent on a roadside guard rail along Francis Crescent.
While Dobson Ward councillor Karin Orpen chose to reserve judgment until tonight’s formal adoption of the proposed budget, she was keen to encourage the community to take advantage of the consultation process.
“Local Government is the only level of government that puts their budget out for community comment before it’s adopted,” Cr Orpen said.
“I think it’s great that we get submissions and feedback from the community and give them the opportunity to have their say.”
Knox is proposing an operational surplus of $1.72 million, while no borrowings will be used to fund capital works.