{"id":298746,"date":"2021-05-10T21:51:50","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T11:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=298746"},"modified":"2021-05-12T15:16:14","modified_gmt":"2021-05-12T05:16:14","slug":"ex-mayor-hard-decisions-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/05\/10\/ex-mayor-hard-decisions-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Mayor: Hard Decisions Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Former mayor Keith Campbell and current mayor Brett Otto … Mr Campbell said Council had to lower ratepayers’ expectations about assets and services or raise rates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0May 10, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

Former mayor Keith Campbell has quizzed current mayor Brett Otto over the South Burnett’s finances and the recent decision not to call in outside consultants to cast “fresh eyes” over Council’s balance sheet.<\/p>\n

Speaking to southburnett.com.au<\/strong>, Mr Campbell queried the apparent Budget operational blowout of $1.05 million, saying Council and ratepayers could not afford “a Santa Claus” mayor and councillors.<\/p>\n

Mr Campbell\u00a0– who served a total of 21 years on the Kingaroy and South Burnett councils before he was defeated by Mayor Otto at the 2020 election – also slammed last year’s zero per cent rate rise which Mayor Otto had labelled as “historic”.<\/p>\n

He said the only history being made was the deficit.<\/p>\n

And he warned that unless hard decisions were made about assets, the South Burnett was going to be “financially challenged” for much longer than Mayor Otto’s 2023-24 target to get Council back into the black.<\/p>\n

In a letter to Mayor Otto – copied to\u00a0southburnett.com.au – Mr Campbell emphasised he was speaking only as a ratepayer but he had a number of questions he would like answered.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He said Mayor Otto had predicted a $3.6 million deficit in his Budget speech; this was now reportedly $4.65 million, blamed on an increase in depreciation.<\/p>\n

“Given that the depreciation allowance should have been correct when the 2020-21 Budget was put together, could you provide details of what constitutes the Budget operational cost overspend of $1.05 million?” Mr Campbell asked.<\/p>\n

Mr Campbell alleged Council had taken “an easy path” with its zero increase in general rates last year “to win favour with some loud voices”.<\/p>\n

“I accept that even if there had been a 2 per cent rate increase, it would not have cleared the deficit, however, Council was in no position to give a free run of a zero per cent rise and then claim to \u2018make history for the South Burnett Regional Council\u2019,” he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Campbell said “a series of financial reviews” had been promised to balance Council\u2019s financial position against economic conditions:<\/strong><\/p>\n