THE letter from Neil Burnside and Peter Schwarz in the Bay Post (May 8) should be of real concern to shire ratepayers.
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These councillors cannot understand why Andrew Constance continues to oppose a special rate rise that is designed to help council meet the state’s fit for the future requirements.
If councils are allowed to seek special rate rises to meet their financial shortfalls in the fit for the future program, what is the point in testing their financial viability in the first place?
They will just keep stinging ratepayers with more and more rate variations.
Like the rest of us, council has to learn to live within its means.
These councillors also appear to be unaware that the commercial rate increase sought by Shoalhaven shire was canned because the councillors listened to the affected ratepayers.
It was clear from the public meeting on Saturday that amalgamation is not a first option for the Eurobodalla community.
The community wants to see the shire stand on its own, but they recognise that this can only occur if there is a major change of attitude and culture within council.
Such change must be driven by our councillors.
If Crs Burnside and Schwarz had attended the meeting they could have communicated with some of the 504 attendees who are totally disillusioned with their performance.
Both were elected on the reform agenda of the Eurobodalla Ratepayers Association. Now that they have defected from that organisation and no longer represent ratepayers, I suggest they should both resign their positions, and clear the way for new ERA blood that is committed to the organisation.
Ian Hitchcock
Dalmeny