Shire president comments on rate rises amidst councillor meeting fees and reimbursement review

Manjimup shire president Donelle Buegge has blamed a State Government body for the planned increases in councillor meeting fees and allowances, which are set to be the largest in four years. Council approved the increases for the 2024-25 financial year at last week’s meeting, which are double those experienced in recent years. The amount Ms Buegge will be paid to lead meetings will rise by $2596, a significant increase compared to last year’s increase of $964. Fees for councillors have also risen sharply to $793, compared to $296 in 2024-23. The new fees are between 3.6 per cent and 3.8 per cent higher than last financial year. Ms Buegge said the fee increase for the proposed 2024-25 budget was determined for councils Statewide by the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal and was not determined by the shire itself. “It’s automatically covered by all the councils, and we get 50 per cent of our possible meeting fees and the council feels getting 50 per cent of what we can get within our meeting band is acceptable for us,” she said. Ms Buegge said the fees and allowances make up for the hours councillors had to put into standing for office, with time taken away for their professional and personal matters. “It’s not a volunteer position, and it does take up a lot of time and hours,” she said. “Sometimes our work is what we sacrifice to stand for council. Now it’s my full-time job and the councillors put a lot of hours into it as well. “The reimbursement fee when put back to an hourly rate is minimal, and the wear and tear done to our cars and phones aren’t reimbursed.” Ms Buegge said the increases in councillor fees did not impact the council’s decision on 2024-25 rates, which she said had been finalised. The rate rises and council’s planned budget are yet to be publicly revealed. “It’s a tough line (because) we don’t want to put rates up, and we’re conscious of how much other councils are putting their rates up by,” she said. Ms Buegge said services for the community come at a cost. “Our community grants are a percentage of our rates, not a set amount, and there’s more pressure on the grants from community groups for basics,” she said. “The services the shire are tackling have increased tenfold. We’re not getting the services we need down here and I’m pushing for those services. “The issues people are bringing to us, we are taking very seriously. I am trying to find solutions because people are struggling with housing and childcare, and it is tough.” Ms Buegge said despite the increases in budget costs, she is confident that the rate rises will be “minor”. “We also don’t want to bump it up next year, because this year’s was low, so it’s very much a balancing act,” she said. Ms Buegge said she understood the cost-of-living crisis residents and ratepayers were facing, and every single action council made was taking it into account. “This is something that is prescribed to us and is out of our hands,” she said. “Our farming sector is struggling, our retail sector is struggling, small businesses are struggling with the costs.”