Few Budget benefits

Casey council’s recent decision to increase our rates by 7.5 per cent in the 2013/14 Budget plan has made a mockery of local government.
Despite claims by the Casey Mayor Amanda Stapleton that the council had no choice but to increase our rates, due to external imposts, a large amount of council spending is on some big projects that are not of an urgent nature and will not provide benefits to all Casey ratepayers.
Casey council had the option of funding some of the Budget’s non-urgent projects over a longer period of time instead of increasing our rates to pay for their immediate development costs in a single year.
Some of the Casey recreational/sporting projects will cost ratepayers millions in one financial year but will contribute little to the quality of life for many existing ratepayers.
Landlords will simply pass on the increased rates rise to their tenants, making the property market less accessible for some.
Casey ratepayers have also not been informed about who accepted responsibility for auditing and validating the cost estimates written into the Budget papers for 2013/14.
There is no mention of any proposed ratepayer funding for council junkets in the 2013/14 financial year in the Casey Budget.
But I doubt if this means our councillors will not be taking any overseas trips in future?
John Glazebrook,
Endeavour Hills.