A PROPOSED five per cent rate cut for Frankston residents has been rejected by council.
Plans for a rate cut were put forward by Cr Steven Hughes. His motion was supported by Cr Liam Hughes, but rejected by the seven other councillors at a meeting last week.
The proposal would have seen general rates for Frankston ratepayers cut by five per cent in the 2022/2023 financial year.
Cr Hughes told the meeting last week that Frankston residents are “paying too much in rates”.
“There’s a number of arguments that council brings forth about why you’re not paying too much in rates. They use the example that the average house price in Frankston is lower so that means they have to charge more for each resident to cover the costs we need to cover for rate money,” he said.
“Council looks at an average house price perspective in this instance because it works in their favour. Average rates for Frankston residents are lower than other councils, mostly because of the socio-economic divide of Frankston. You have Karingal, Frankston North, and Carrum Downs – they have a lower average value house price which drives down the total average house price for the rest of Frankston. But this isn’t Soviet Russia where the collective outweighs the individual. Other areas in Frankston have comparable, if not higher land values than neighbouring councils. Frankston South, Langwarrin South, Sandhurst, and Seaford residents are suffering under a high rate burden.”
One opposing councillor, Kris Bolam, used a 21-piece bucket of KFC drumsticks to illustrate his reason for voting against the rate cut. “This bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken was $34. When I look at the rateable amount paid on my property it was $2531. Under Cr Hughes’ proposal I would get a five per cent saving, which equates to roughly $31.50 on a quarterly basis – the Kentucky Fried Chicken,” he said. “That’s great but what services and what initiatives have to be cut in order for me to get the short term gain of chicken?
“When you put into context how many services have to be cut or how many staff have to be made redundant, I think it’s a real concern.”
Cr Hughes suggested that the reduction in rate income be offset by cuts to council’s operating costs and capital works program. Frankston Council’s corporate and commercial services wrote that a five per cent rate cut would have an “extremely significant” impact on council’s “future ability to both provide services and deliver key community infrastructure projects” (“Five per cent rate cut proposed” The Times 5/4/2022).
This is the second time during this term that Frankston Council has rejected a notice of motion to provide a rate cut to its residents.
