2020-06-09 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA     9 JUNE 2020


                                                   ATTACHMENT 1




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SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                       9 JUNE 2020

                                                                                   ATTACHMENT 1

    ORDINARY MEETING AGENDA                                                  21 NOVEMBER 2019

    3     MAYORAL MINUTES

                                   MAYORAL MINUTE

    | hereby give notice of my intention to move the following motion at the Ordinary Meeting on
    Thursday, 21 November 2019:

    1     TRIAL PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE 2020-21 BUDGET
          That Council:
          A.   Agree to undertake a trial public consultation process during the development of the
               2020-21 budget as set out in this Mayoral Minute;
          B.   Note that any actual budget decisions can only be made as a resolution of Council as
               part of the budget adoption process under the Local Government Act but that community
               input into this process will be valuable for Councillors and the organisation;
          C.   Agree that the cost of this public consultation process will be referred to Budget Review
               3; and
          D.   Note this proposal is for the 2020-21 budget process only, and may be refined or
               reconsidered by any future Council for any future Noosa Council budgets.

    BACKGROUND

    One of the considerations of the State Government's local government reforms could see councils
    “consult with the community in the preparation of the budget” (Local Government Regulatory
    Reforms, Key amendments currently under consideration, April 2019).
    On 28 June 2019, at the adoption of the 2019/20 budget, | announced that we would be commencing
    public consultation on future Council budget processes.
    Public trust in government has been eroded in recent years with polling showing a worrying decline
    in support for democracy. Although Local Government enjoys higher trust rating than State or
    Federal Government, in Queensland, events at Ipswich and Logan Councils, CCC investigations at
    Gold Coast and Moreton Bay, and the State’s recent drive to implement Belcarra recommendations
    all play into a growing attitudinal shift.
    In this climate, demands for increased public sector transparency are inevitable.
    Noosa Council needs to be on the front foot, including building community trust through better public
    understanding of the Council's budget decision-making. One way to engender both trust and
    awareness of Council’s many services and activities is to allow community members to scrutinise
    and make comment upon the budget during the deliberation period.
    This will help deliver understanding about budgetary trade-offs and decisions, performance
    challenges, new rates or levies, and financial sustainability requirements. Furthermore, Council can
    take into consideration well-informed recommendations from its community who it represents.
    It must be acknowledged that only the elected Councillors can formally approve and thus adopt a
    budget. All budget decisions are made by Councillors, and this responsibility cannot be delegated.
    However, a community consultation process can better inform that decision-making by Councillors.

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