VOTE THEM ALL OUT! – It’s Time for a Reset.

Council and Councillors have Lost their Way

By Rod Mitchell

As we get closer to the Council elections in October, it is time for reflection on whether we have had good value from our elected representatives over the last four years. We do not need to look further than two recent surveys on Council performance to know the answer – both surveys summarised a bare pass when it comes to the basis remit of Rates, Roads and Rubbish.

As a voter in the up-coming October elections ,ask yourself this:

  • Do you feel you get value for money from your rates?
  • Do you feel that basic amenity is as good as you would want or expect it to be? and
  • Do you feel that Council is responsive to your needs?

If you feel like many of us that the answer is NO, then you should read on.

Waste and Mismanagement

Over the last four years we have seen millions in wasteful expenditure that has included:

  • The Start, Stop, Start, Stop St Kilda Triangle incompetence, with over $500,000 wasted in the last mismanaged process.
  • The St Kilda toilet block fiasco, where hundreds of thousands were spent on a proposal that lacked from the start, sensible community consultation.
  • The Start, Stop, Start of the Luna Park and Palais Revitalisation with poor initial planning and cost over runs from the original contract and
  • The Waste Management Contract where even the Councillors admitted that they failed in the due diligence process, costing over $300,000 in reports and a renegotiated contract. And where we the ratepayers to this day, cannot access what the additional costs borne by Council’s failure are?

No One Held Responsible

In all the above examples of mismanagement, one thing stands out, besides the loss of ratepayer money. From what we gather, no one in Council lost their job or was demoted. Councillors, instead of demanding accountability, appear to have walked away from a core responsibility, some even finding excuses, confusing their role as custodians with that of being Council staff.

Grass Roots Councillors or Political Operatives?

It is of course not surprising how we got to this sad state of affairs. When Councillors stand under political labels like Liberal, Labor, or Greens, it is a sure thing that what transpires next is the ugly deal making and ideology that they surrender too.

Common sense, fiscal responsibility, value for money and ensuring basic amenity are horse traded for shoring up voting blocks and pork barrelling to win favour with disparate groups whose interests are not aligned with the average resident.

Some of the current crop of Councillors see their role in local Council as a short-term stint, knowing that local government is the necessary rite of passage to get preselection for the bigger prize in state or federal politics. Two of the Councillors have tried and failed that transition. Three of our current Councillors who are all renominating, do not pay rates in the CoPP, and some of the Councillors looking for a second, or third term standing in the St Kilda ward, do not even reside in St Kilda!

But you can do something about it in October:

Message to Voters in St Kilda

Three sound rules you should consider when you vote for a candidate in October.

  • The Candidate must reside in St Kilda Ward,
  • The Candidate should not be a current or ex-Councillor,
  • If the Candidate is standing under a political party banner- Labor, Liberals or the Greens, put them last.

Get the politics and ideology out of local elections. It’s time to wipe the slate clean!

 

Author: Rod Mitchell is not a member of RoPP or any political party. His opinions are his own.