The Art Gallery decision certainly got things going with over 100 online comments on the Border Mail website and plenty were directed at me for my "backflip".
When interviewed in August last year during the election campaign I said that I was in favour of the project but I was not happy that the Mayor had simply said that the project would go ahead whether or not the NSW Government contributed $3.5 million. I repeated this position at the November Council meeting when it was voted 5-4 to seek further community consultation and to look at alternative sources of funding. So I don't accept it was a backflip. I changed my mind based on the evidence put before me.
At the February meeting we had several hundred pages of reports including surveys and submissions. After reading all of them I came to the conclusion that there was support (not overwhelming but a majority of those who responded) for the project. In addition the staff had discussed with various experts in the field the opportunities to raise money from philanthropic sources. Note this is not asking for donations from the general Albury community.
I was convinced that the burden on Albury ratepayers would be less than the $7 million caused by the State Government withdrawal and could be funded without adding further burdens to ratepayers. Remember the special variation in rates had already been approved by the previous council and will continue for another two years.
Have I been fiscally responsible? Just knocking back one project does not make me fiscally responsible and as I have had to remind people, if I had voted against the project it would have been 4 - 4 and the Mayor would have used her casting vote to give it the go-ahead anyway.
I am scrutinising all expenditure by this Council and soon we get to look at the proposed budget for 2013 - 2014. I will scrutinise every line item and with the support of fellow councillors I hope to make savings by reducing unnecessary expenditure and waste. I have a several in mind but I will discuss these in detail in later posts after I have looked at the information given to councillors in the draft budget papers.
On Tuesday I am going to an all day training session about financial matters in local government. Not one other Albury Council is going even though one for example told me, "I don't understand that stuff. I leave it to others!" So I take my obligations seriously.
When all is said and done I will have to live with my decisions and, if I stand again, the voters will have the opportunity to say how they feel about me as a councillor
