on muddy waters …
In a Media Release last week, the association questioned both the source & accuracy of an ABC South East Radio news report stating:
“The Bega Valley Shire Council says concerns over its financial deficit have been resolved after an $85M surplus was found.”
The association believes that the claim is entirely inaccurate & was almost certainly designed to mislead residents & ratepayers of the Bega Valley as to council’s true financial standing.
The scale of the potential deception can be recognised by highlighting the fact that council’s general rates income for 2018-2019 was budgeted at $24.3M, meaning that an $85M surplus would equate to more than three years’ general rates income.
This from a council that is always claiming to be broke. Fantasyland stuff.
Even more so when the latest official figures released by council in the March, 2020 Quarterly Budget Review confirmed a projected a Net Operating Deficit before grants & contributions for capital purposes of $3.3M as at June 30, 2020.
The $85M reported Surplus for 2020 reflects an extraordinary $88.3M turnaround in performance in the three months to June 30th, 2020.
ABC South East Radio has now confirmed that the information contained in its news report was provided by the Mayor, Crs Fitzpatrick, & Cr Bain.
The association has today
written to Cr Fitzpatrick calling on him to publicly clarify the situation by confirming the surplus/deficit recorded by council as at June 30th, 2020 & releasing a copy of the
2020 unaudited Financial Statement.
John Richardson
Secretary/Treasurer
Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association
Tel: 0264945669
Email: secretary@begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au
Website: http://www.begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au