Council spending revealed

Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au

FRANKSTON Council recorded a healthy surplus in the 2022/2023 financial year.

Council’s annual report has been released. It revealed that council posted an annual surplus of just more than $15 million in the last financial year.

Council raised rates by 3.5 percent in its 2023/2024 budget, in line with the state government rate cap, with commercial and industrial property owners hit with big cost increases.

Council spent 82 percent of its $92 million capital works budget in 2022/2023, below the targeted 90 percent. The report read that underspend was due to “cost escalations and unfavourable market conditions resulting in delays in delivery, caused by lack of available contractors, shortages in materials and labour, and contractor insolvency responsible for some of council’s major projects.”

The report also outlined how much council is paying its top earners. Council’s highest paid member of senior management received remuneration between $420,000 and $429,999 in 2022/2023. Key management personnel comprises the CEO and four directors. Remuneration includes salaries, paid leave, superannuation, and contribution for the private use of a vehicle.

On 18 December after an independent tribunal decision, councillor pay increased to $35,972. The deputy mayor is now paid $59,659 and the mayor is paid $119,316.

The annual report confirmed that deputy mayor Liam Hughes and suspended councilor Steven Hughes did not accept the pay rise. Apart from their annual allowance, they both recorded no councillor expenses for 2022/2023.

Councillor Kris Bolam claimed $2835 in expenses. Sue Baker spent $1636, Claire Harvey spent $1319, Brad Hill spent $945, Suzette Tayler spent $603, and David Asker spent $504. The mayor Nathan Conroy claimed $1314 in expenses, but repaid them back to council.

Conferences and training were to blame for the largest expenses.

The report revealed that Steven Hughes missed more than half of council’s briefings and meetings in the 2022/2023 financial year. In that time there were 18 council meetings and 41 councillor briefings - Hughes attended a total of just 36 percent of them. Hughes, who served a one month suspension at the start of 2023, went to 14 council meetings and just seven briefings.

Liam Hughes attended 80 percent of meetings and briefings, and all other councillors recorded an attendance rate of more than 90 percent. Councillor Conroy and Harvey attended every meeting.

The annual report featured a joint statement from the mayor Nathan Conroy and CEO Phil Cantillon. It read “against a backdrop of rising costs and increased economic uncertainty, council continued to deliver more than 150 key services to the community in a well-managed and financially sustainable way, with strong community satisfaction.”