Question Time

I get asked a lot of questions in my role as Mayor of City of Onkaparinga . There is a Facebook community that from time to time, poses questions to me through their administrator(s). Towards the end of the year I was asked the following questions by this group via Yvonne Wenham, herself a former Councillor:

1. ?Council Debt

During the election campaign, when asked about Council debt , you advised you needed time to 'look under the hood' to get a better understanding of the councils financial condition.

a) What is your position on Council debt ? Is it too high , ?is too low ?Should it be reduced, should it be increased ??

b) What decisions have been made by this Council to address public concerns with increasing public debt??

1. Strategic Direction

Councils in the past ?discuss the direction they wish to take the council during their 4 yr term.

a)What does this term of council wish to achieve during their term ?

b) What strategies, ?have this council implemented , that are different to previous terms of council??

1. ?Programs and Services?

The council delivers many services and programs.

a) What services and programs are new to the council and are an initiative of this term of council ??

b) What services and programs have ceased from decisions made by this term of council ??

I replied to the request, however it occured to me that these questions maybe ones other #localgovernment bodies might be addressing, other councillors might be being asked, and perhaps there are reflections and learnings that could be shared? Here are my answers, to the questions above, and I would love to hear from others too who are facing some of the same challenges and opportunities.

"I have certainly learnt a lot in my first year as Mayor of City of Onkaparinga. As you appreciate, the strategic agenda of any Council is not necessarily the same as the Mayor’s, as the Mayoral role under the Local Government Act Section 58 (1999) sets out the role of the principal member.

This includes:

• provide leadership and guidance to the Council.
• lead and promote positive and constructive working relationships among Council members.
• provide guidance to Council members on the performance of their roles, including on the exercise and performance of their official functions and duties.
• support council members understanding of the separation of responsibilities between elected representatives and council employees.
• preside at meetings of Council.
• liaise with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) between Council meetings.
• act as the principal spokesperson of the Council.
• perform civic and ceremonial duties.

Helping the community to understand the achievements and direction of this term to date is much appreciated. In addition to the minutes, video recordings and the Annual Report, there are regular communications via Onkaparinga Now that I hope make the approach of this chamber visible. You may have noticed a sharp increase in the number and diversity of methods and issues on which community members are consulted and included in developing decisions.

In response to your specific questions in relation to my approach I have certainly done what I can to get ‘under the hood’ by appointing a CEO with the skills and experience to address our financial circumstances. As chair of the CEO Performance Management Committee I have been able to help shape the job description to bring financial acumen of the highest standards to the role. I have also worked with other members of the committee and the chamber to develop performance measures to reflect these priorities. I have also taken the opportunity to refresh the membership of the Audit and Risk Committee, attracting high calibre candidates for the chair and independent positions. I am confident we have the best ARC the council has ever had. Their skills, expertise and experience will enhance our decision-making and support us with quality advice.?

Given only three of the 13 of us in the term are from the previous chamber, I am not in the best position to know how we are different as a chamber. I can say though, we have not ‘kicked the can down the road.’ We have taken the time to consider all the facts, take advice and make our decisions after consideration, debate and intense interrogation of information provided by staff. We have also had no codes of conduct or legal matters against councillors in this first year and invested time in making sure everyone is fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. I would like to think this is in some way a reflection of the quality of councillors and my own abilities to foster a culture of respect.

As I said during the election campaign, debt can take a number of forms, and not all debt is necessarily ‘bad debt’, just as a family might be happy to be in debt to buy a home, but not buy their groceries on a credit card. These are two different types of debt. I am not in favour of debt of the second kind, and at the moment that is too high. I have continued to advocate for our debt to be managed, addressed and work through poor performances of the past. We are in the seventh consecutive year of deficit budgets, and I am committed that by the end of this term we have a balanced budget. This isn’t going to happen overnight I am also advocating and vigilant in keeping a close eye on cost shifting between different levels of government to local government.

Decisions to date by this chamber around debt include:

• Appointing a CEO with experience to match our needs.
• Appointing a new Audit and Risk Committee chair and independent members.
• Undertaking a budget review that factors in both CPI and growth in rate requirements which haven’t kept pace in both CPI and growth for several years.
• Educating elected members with all the facts and figures so they are fully informed.
• Managing our debt to transition towards a balanced budget by the end of this chamber’s term.
• Reviewing the long-term financial plan principles alongside the development of our community plan and strategic assessment management plan, so they all align and come into sync.
• Actively exploring and encouraging management to investigate revenue and expenditure strategies to support our financial sustainability, so both sides of the ledger are considered in decision-making. This will be evident in the next budget.
• Comprehensive review of land and building assets will be complete by this time next year. There is evidence that not all of our assets have been listed for consideration, this will be addressed in the review.
• Issues around depreciation, valuations and the asset register have been and are continuing to be addressed with support from administration and the Audit and Risk Committee.
• CEO is implementing a small re-structure which will result in one less Director and this will have an immediate impact on savings in salaries.

The strategic directions of the whole council are a reflection on the community’s wishes and we are in the process of consulting the community on the next Community Plan, which is really a strategic plan. I have and will continue to advocate for listening to a wide range of voices, and not just the loudest ones. To that end I am very happy to note that in this first round of consultations on the Community Plan we have had more than 5,000 people involved from all age groups and suburbs, far outstripping previous consultation processes. The next phase of the development of the plan will be to workshop these results and test the themes emerging and then start to set priorities within budget and legislative parameters. This chamber is very engaged with the community and their participation and attendance in community activities is higher than previous chambers as far as I can tell, and from the feedback I receive from community members.

Programs and services are operational and so while the chamber is continuing to focus on the strategic imperatives, you will notice from minutes. I have taken particular interest areas such as strengthening climate and disaster resilience through the support of other levels of government funding, advocacy around housing, homelessness, recognising and valuing First Nations, family and domestic violence, including supporting the state government initiative for Yellow Hub at Noarlunga Centre. I have also found myself actively involved in advocacy around State legislative changes in planning, local government electoral reform, climate and biodiversity, road safety and recognition of First Nations. This includes working in partnership with the Local Government Association and other aligned peak bodies.

It has been an exciting year setting the foundations for future success. The challenges are real and with them there are also opportunities we can capitalise on. It is a privilege to serve in the role of Mayor and I will continue to stay the course to get our resources and ambitions to align to meet the needs of this time and future generations."