Wodonga's rates up two per cent after majority of councillors oppose original plan

After a lengthy debate spanning more than an hour at the May 15 council meeting, it was determined by a 4-3 vote to go against the recommended rise of 3.5 per cent and find middle ground.

Deputy mayor Libby Hall foreshadowed a motion to adjust the rate rise to two per cent and make other changes, including a reduction in pet registrations, cutting three pathway trainee positions within the council, a reduction in the chief executive's consultancy expenditure and a deferral of the proposed spending on the city's racecourse grandstand to the 2024-25 budget.

Mayor Ron Mildren and councillors Olga Quilty and Danny Chamberlain voted in support of Cr Hall's motion to see it carried, with Kev Poulton, Graeme Simpfendorfer and Danny Lowe opposed.

"I've aimed to be fair and responsible with these changes," Cr Hall said.

"Our debt is the lowest it's been in many, many years, which is a good position to be in with the environment of rising interest rates.

"I speak with many people at grassroots level and I'm told by many struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living, bank interest rates and inflation pressures.

"Over 32 per cent of our homeowners have a mortgage, this means that current interest rate rises would be having a real impact on their household budgets."

Cr Mildren said there were ways the council could look to become more clever with its spending.

"There's just so much more to fiscal responsibility and sustainability than simply putting the hand in the taxpayer or the ratepayer's pocket," he said.

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Cr Kev Poulton voiced his concerns and hopes to see the community speak up about the decision.

He said the city could stand to lose $10 million in 10 years without a 3.5 per cent rate rise.

"If the community allows a two per cent rise to go through, which has happened in the past, and we constantly talk about lack of engagement, it's going to be a sad day for the city," Cr Poulton said.

"I'd like everybody to write today's date on the back of their palm now, so it won't wash off, maybe in permanent marker so you can go back and say 'I was in that chamber, I was watching online and that guy who is a bit of a fruitcake told me this was going to happen, because this city will go backwards.

"You'll probably hear conversation and debate around 'we've had high rates in the past and we're still pretty high' and I challenge anybody who doesn't feel value from their rights in this city to move somewhere cheaper.

"Every time somebody puts that argument forward, that $65.52 a year is going to break somebody versus other choices they can make in life."

Significant capital items in the 2023-24 budget included the Brockley Street bridge replacement ($2.7 million), building facilities renewal ($2.5 million) and $3.9 million for resealing and renewals of existing roads.

Cr Simpfendorfer said there needed to be a long term vision with decisions around budgets.

"It's not just about this budget, it's the next one and the five and the 15 and the 20 after that," he said.

"We need to have the courage, and I'll use the vernacular, to plant a tree that will never ever sit in the shade of."

Cr Hall said the council was still dealing with the "compounding effect" of previous rate rises.

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