Mayor’s View – 26th February, 2009
If council has a problem with the outcome of its policies, then rather than make a decision solving the particular problem, we prefer to go back and change the policy.
An example of this would be developer contributions or requirements for car parking in new developments. We don’t do deals.
Recently I was asked how council determines which roads are scheduled for sealing. Councillors do not approve their wish lists as this sort of approach invites deal making and preferential treatment. Neither do we necessarily agree to requests or pressure from residents. This is not the way to prioritise. Rather we set the rules on the basis of traffic counts, bus services, number of residents, etc. and the dollars available and then council staff, using these rules, list in priority order.
The Orion report severely criticised the Johnstone Shire for not following due process in handling complaints and for councillors interfering with operational matters. This behaviour and the cost of councillor’s salaries have led to some people saying ‘why then do we have councillors’?
Clearly our democratic system calls for and requires popularly elected local government representatives – councillors. This is in the law and is not in the power of local government to change. There is also a crucial difference between policy setting and management. Elected councillors set policies and staff implement them. This is the case with the operation of all levels of government and with public companies.
Council set out almost twelve months ago to improve corporate governance, establish sound financial management – living within our means after funding depreciation – and to develop a vision for the future.
A potential next stage is more controversial. We could go on for years crying poor, but I believe it is more constructive to continue to press the case for state and federal funding assistance, on the basis that we are now doing our bit. Through the Corporate Plan we will assess our capacity to fund borrowings and may take advantage of the low interest rate environment to borrow responsibly.
Our debt levels are not a problem. Our problem is the huge infrastructure backlog.
Decision making in government is influenced by whether one should make a popular decision or the correct decision. I have always attempted to make the correct decision in the circumstances, explaining the reasons and trusting that my judgment is correct. These judgments must be made in the context of a value system – honesty, equity, consistency, lawful etc.
There are more politicians who make a name for themselves by reducing debt than going into debt. I believe that modest affordable debt is the correct path at this time although probably not the most popular one.