A Message from the Mayor

Dear Resident,

I invite you to have your say in Council’s decision making.

Council now has its 2015/16 Budget and long term financial plan on exhibition for community consultation until 19 May 2015.

I believe that our Budget is our most important document in setting our direction and spending priorities for the financial year and I am seeking your opinion on whether

• we have our financial strategies correct

• we are providing the services and facilities you need

• our rating level and priorities are correct

• we should minimise our rate rises and how much debt we should have

As they are your rates we spend I believe it is important that you advise us what is important to you. Through Council’s 2015/16 Budget our expenditure will be approximately $260 million. The draft Budget we have prepared is a balanced budget. It has been based upon our Council’s core principles:

• total rate rise will not exceed the rate cap set by the Independent Pricing & Regulatory Tribunal

• the average residential rate will be raised 1.50%, well below the CPI

• Council’s debt reduction strategy and target will be adhered to

• there will a greater focus on asset renewals

The Budget document contains over 200 pages and can be viewed on Council’s website at www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au. Copies can be viewed in all

Sutherland Shire libraries and at Council’s Customer Service Centre at 4 Eton

Street, Sutherland. If you do not have access to the web or are unable to visit a library or the customer service centre and would like a copy, please contact me so we can make it available.

A short survey is attached and I would value you taking a few minutes to complete it and send it to me by post in the Reply Paid envelope or email it to me at kjohns@ssc.nsw.gov.au. Or to complete it online you can go to “Join the Conversation” at www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au, click on the Join the

Conversation logo and select the Budget survey in the list of open engagements.

I am also available to discuss your thoughts on the Budget. My personal contact number is 0414 194 822. Also you should feel free to contact your Ward Councillors whose details appear below.

Thank you for taking time to assist Council meet the needs of the community.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Kent R Johns

A Ward Councillors Cr Carol Provan cprovan@ssc.nsw.gov.au Cr Kevin Schreiber kschreiber@ssc.nsw.gov.au Cr Scott Williams swilliams@ssc.nsw.gov.au	B Ward Councillors Cr Tracy Cook tlcook@ssc.nsw.gov.au Cr Phil Blight pblight@ssc.nsw.gov.au Cr Kent Johns (Mayor) kjohns@ssc.nsw.gov.au	C Ward Councillors Cr Hassan Awada hawada@ssc.nsw.gov.au Cr Tom Croucher tcroucher@ssc.nsw.gov.au Cr Peter Scaysbrook pscaysbrook@ssc.nsw.gov.au
D Ward Councillors Cr Diedree Steinwall dsteinwall@ssc.nsw.gov.au Cr Carmelo Pesce (Deputy Mayor) cpesce@ssc.nsw.gov.au Cr Bruce Walton bwalton@ssc.nsw.gov.au	E Ward Councillors Cr John Riad jriad@ssc.nsw.gov.au Cr Steve Simpson stevesimpson@ssc.nsw.gov.au Cr Peter Towell ptowell@ssc.nsw.gov.au

Click here to read the Mayoral Minute adopted by Council at a Special Council Meeting 25 May 2015