18 October 2016

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Mornington

Morni ngton

18 October

2016

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Night out to ease autism A GALA evening in Mornington next Saturday, 22 October, will raise funds for programs at the not-for-profit Abacus Early Intervention Centre to assist children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The event has been organised by Mornington mother Michelle Bendell, pictured here with son Sidney and daughter Molly, who credits the centre’s programs for the remarkable improvements in her son, who spent two years at the centre before starting school this year. Ms Bendell said parents of children with ASD often struggled to afford the intensive treatments that were essential to helping children and families cope with the disorder. Read more Page 10 Picture: Yanni

Councillor expenses unknown Neil Walker neil@mpnews.com.au VOTERS will not know how much Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors spent on expenses during the full current four-year council term before this weekend’s council elections. The shire’s 11 councillors collectively spent $135,357 — about $100,000 more of ratepayers’ money on expenses compared to neighbouring Frankston and

Kingston councils — over a 12-month period in the 2015-16 financial year. The 11 shire councillors also spent about $150,000 more than 18 Frankston and Kingston councillors combined in 2014-15. The shire previously pledged to publicly release all councillors’ expenses for the first two financial years of this four-year council term but has subsequently reneged on the promise to be transparent about expenses, supposedly budgeted at $16,000 per four-year term

for each councillor. In July and August, the shire said all councillor expenses would be included in the latest council annual report released last week. The expenses for 2012-13 and 2013-14, never previously released, were not included in the report. “Council will release figures relating to council expenditure on training and conferences over the current term later this month,” shire chief financial officer Matt Green said in August.

When asked last week for councillor expenses figures, shire media communications manager Mark Kestigian said council governance manager Joe Spiteri decided the expenses figures could not be provided since caretaker provisions are in place before council elections. Caretaker provisions – in force from 20 September until 22 October – mean councils must not make major policy decisions just before elections or produce material that could influence election outcomes.

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The state government advised The News that providing councillor expenses information does not breach the Local Government Act but individual councils can decide how to deal with caretaker provisions. Neighbouring Frankston Council and Kingston councils have published details of all councillor expenses for each year of this four-year council term in their annual reports. Continued Page 13


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