{"id":110159,"date":"2015-06-09T21:20:23","date_gmt":"2015-06-09T11:20:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=110159"},"modified":"2020-11-24T15:53:25","modified_gmt":"2020-11-24T05:53:25","slug":"council-budget-takes-shape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/06\/09\/council-budget-takes-shape\/","title":{"rendered":"Council Budget Takes Shape"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SBRC<\/a>
South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann (Photo: SBRC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 9, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

After weeks of discussions, the 2015-16 South Burnett Regional Council Budget will be formally presented to Councillors to peruse at 9:00am on Wednesday (June 10).<\/p>\n

South Burnett mayor Wayne Kratzmann told southburnett.com.au<\/strong> that in some Councils this would be the first time councillors would get a glimpse of a proposed Budget, but that was not the way in the South Burnett.<\/p>\n

“They have been involved in the development process all the way through,” he said.<\/p>\n

However, the “presentation” was a formality required by law.<\/p>\n

The actual Budget Meeting, when the Budget is unveiled to the public and voted on by Councillors, will be held on Monday, June 29, at 9:00am.<\/p>\n

In last year’s Council Budget, a CPI rate rise of 2.75 per cent was forecast for 2015-16.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mayor Wayne Kratzmann is heading off to Canberra later this week to attend the 2015 National General Assembly of Local Government.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is an opportunity for councillors from all over Australia to press their case with Federal politicians, including Prime Minister Tony Abbott.<\/p>\n

The Mayor said a key issue for the South Burnett was the issue of the Financial Assistance Grant (FAG) program.<\/p>\n

As part of its Budget strategy, the Federal Government froze the Australia-wide funding pool for FAG grants to councils from July 1, 2014, and don’t propose to unfreeze it until 2017.<\/p>\n

Last month Depurty Mayor Cr Keith Campbell warned the South Burnett stood to lose almost $2.8 million from its income if the three-year freeze was put in place.<\/p>\n