LOGAN’S council has this week delivered a responsible budget which allows for progress, growth and maintenance.
Councils have become responsible for so much more than rates, rubbish and roads, although they remain important components of council life.
Local governments gel communities via infrastructure and services – both which come in various forms.
The key will always be in the detail. It is always unwise to splash about a bucket of funds without listing each project that will be built. We have today for example, published a list of road projects which have been allocated funding.
Council has identified the need for a nest egg, a bucket of funds ($20 million) which can be used for infrastructure projects that come to light during the year.
This on the surface seems like a great idea, and will be if it is managed responsibly. The upside is that councillors can move funds to areas they deem most urgent.
The downside is the risk that funds are stored to one side, and splashed in the month ahead of an election campaign.
There is a similar danger attached to councillors’ discretionary funds – an amount of money allocated to each divisional councillor to spend on localised projects.
Organisations who do the right thing by councillors love the fund – schools sporting groups, charity organisations, community associations, and more all stand to benefit.
Where there is discretion however, there is often bias. This is where councillors will need to be held to account under an open, transparent dialogue and system.
