This is my last column as mayor prior to the end of this Council term in October.
I would like to thank my colleagues and the Monash community for the opportunity to serve as mayor again. This was certainly an unexpected opportunity coming after the resignation of former mayor Stefanie Perri in May to contest the recent federal election.
As this Council term draws to a close, I am pleased that the current group of councillors will be handing over to the next group of elected councillors a Council which has never been in stronger shape. Over the course of this Council term we have:
- consolidated our position as having the lowest rates in Victoria;
- paid off all of Council’s debt so that Monash is now debt-free for the first time ever;
- delivered our lowest rate increase of 2.5% (for 2016/17) in almost 20 years;
- introduced a new Council rebate for pensioners of $50 to provide extra assistance to pensioners with paying their rates;
- reduced the size of Council’s workforce to lower our operating costs; and
- produced real efficiency and productivity savings to invest more money back into capital works and improved maintenance.
The Councillors obviously could not have achieved this on our own and I would like to thank the Monash Council staff – particularly Chief Executive Officer, Andi Diamond – for their hard work, dedication to the community and support they’ve provided to me and the other councillors this term.
When I was elected mayor I made it a priority to improve the council cohesion and the running of Council meetings.
I am pleased to report that the somewhat radical procedural reforms I implemented upon assuming the role have worked. I cannot fault the behaviour of anyone at any of our meetings since. Council meetings have finished at reasonable hours, business has been transacted efficiently, there have been no interjections and there has hardly been a single point of order raised.
This is how our community expects Council meetings to be conducted and I am pleased that all councillors and those who regularly attend in the public gallery have responded in this way to my efforts to improve our performance.
It is a privilege to serve the Monash community and I would like to thank the many residents, ratepayers and other members of our community for making this role such an enjoyable and rewarding one. As always, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if I can assist.
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