Have your say on Council’s 2024-2025 Budget spend
Published on 14 December 2023
Mount Alexander Shire Council is inviting the community to have their say on Council’s 2024-2025 Budget.
Using the Council Plan 2021-2025 as a roadmap, the annual budget sets out how Council will fund the delivery of more than 100 community services.
These services include roads, bridges, drains, open space, waste and recycling, animal management, maternal and child health, aged services, early education, emergency relief and recovery, as well as other key projects.
Council is inviting the community to consider how they would prioritise spending by using an online budgeting allocation tool.
Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Executive Manager of Corporate Services, Carolyn Ross, said that community input is vital to creating a well-rounded budget.
“Mount Alexander Shire residents are very knowledgeable about what is most wanted and needed in the community.
“As a small regional Council, we always manage to do a lot with a tight budget, but the rising cost of living is making that more and more difficult.
“We’re committed to delivering the same quality services that we always do on a much tighter budget.
“This is where we need our community’s help.
“We have very passionate and engaged residents, and their input is always taken into account when creating a new budget.
“Our nifty online tool allows residents to prioritise services and tell us how they’d spend the budget.
“This is a fantastic exercise because it gives us a valuable look into what Council services our community values.
“It also gives our community insight into the work and decision-making that goes into the budget each year.
“I encourage everyone to visit our online engagement platform, Shape Mount Alexander, and tell us how they think we should prioritise spending over the next 12 months.”
Previous feedback on Council budgets has resulted in funding several projects across the shire, including the gender-neutral change rooms at Camp Reserve and Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve; and projects to support community organisations such as Business Mount Alexander, Maldon Inc., Castlemaine Safe Space and Castlemaine Fringe Festival.
Have your say
Residents are encouraged to take part in a simple online exercise to help Council understand which service areas are valued most in the community.
Submissions close on Sunday 4 February.
All community input received will be collated and provided to Councillors for their review and consideration during the budget process. Councillors will consider the draft budget for adoption at the meeting of Council in June 2024.
For more information, contact Carolyn Ross, Council’s Executive Manager of Corporate Services, on 5471 1700 or at c.ross@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.