What a saving!

WE HAVE read that the City of Casey rates will be reduced by .4 per cent (News, 31 July).
Oh, what a fantastic drop in the ocean which we are sure will have every ratepayer jumping for joy. The council must be taking us for fools.
Our emails to the council regarding the funding of the Casey Cultural Precinct, which is to be constructed at a cost $125 million, have had no reply.
The council says there have been savings and expected funding from the federal and state governments.
These savings could have been used to reduce our rates.
Cr Wayne Smith said the council was looking for a pledge of $10 million from both levels of government. Where will the balance of $115 million come from and who will pay for it if not we ratepayers?
If this structure does go ahead, does the manager or anyone in the council have any idea of the running costs of this precinct? What would be the fees to use this facility and can we be sure that ratepayers will be able to afford it?
We would also like to know why these three City of Casey personnel are still in office when they have been endorsed for the forthcoming state election? These people should have been removed from office as soon as they landed Liberal Party endorsement for the state election.
They must also pay back to the council all costs for their election to the council, so that council does not have to spend ratepayers’ money for their replacements in their wards.
When these people have no regard for the community they were elected to represent, they will in no way be good for the electorate they stand for. People in those areas should be wary of voting for these candidates who have just used the council as a footstool to better their positions without a care about the community. In the future all City of Casey councillors who are elected must take an oath to serve the community for their full term of office.
Last but not least, we request all ratepayers withhold paying their rates until the council starts to mow all the nature strips in front of their homes, as that land supposedly belongs to the council.
Why do we ratepayers have to spend our money and resources to keep the nature strips neat and tidy and thereby the council can increase the value of our homes to their advantage?
Dunstan Girton and Louis Kotsiras,
Hampton Park.