We need Local Government. But do we need Local Councillors?

Switch off the Donald Trump Inauguration tomorrow night and tune in instead to the Shoalhaven City Council meeting as it looks set to be a doozy to kick off 2025. 

Despite ambitious New Year resolutions, Shoalhaven Council has faced some harsh realities since coming to power just four months ago. 

The resignation of CEO Robyn Stevens, following acrimonious dealings with the Shoalhaven Independents Group from before the councillors were even sworn in, resulted in a still-undisclosed cost to ratepayers of at least $300,000.

 But that's nothing compared to the cost of paying out and replacing four more directors who recently resigned or retired following the departure of the well-respected Ms Stevens' and the appointment of James Ruprai as acting CEO. 

The brain drain continues at the end of February as City Services Director Carey McIntyre will take a long, long service leave and we won't see him back until September - if we are lucky.

Mayor Patricia White has still not commented on widely published inaccuracies in her background claims, nor has she produced any verifiable resume to counter her concerns about being defamed. 

But White did act quickly to personally appoint a self-described "group lot" of five advisors to a special financial advisory panel to help Council's highly-qualified Chief Financial Officer, Katie Buckman, with the job of getting Council solvent.

 Let's try not to imagine the empty tea room if Ms Buckman doesn't stick around.

Which leads to the rate rise - the inevitable rate rise that they promised wouldn't happen. But that promise was way back during the election campaign. And September 2024 is practically ancient history so it doesn't count anymore, right?

We needed good accounting to keep track of the new Council's reversals of decisions made by the previous Council, rescission motions, snarking inside chambers and strategising behind the scenes, calls for more detailed reports, extra briefings, new committees and one councillor resignation before the first meeting!

Then came the discovery of the mysterious Shoalhaven Development Industry Reference Group that lost its cloak of invisibility just in time to query the value of "local character"  being enshrined in the future planning of our towns and villages. 

Values and value are two very different concepts, especially when you are taking your seat in the Land and Environment Court and you have to choose between an allegiance to wealthy developers or volunteer community representatives.

Local character in planning is up for debate again tomorrow in a second rescission motion seriously questioning the influences and motivation of councillors whose first rescission overturned the original unanimously carried motion supporting it.

I know, it's confusing.

So, is it any wonder that Clr Ben Krikstolaitis allowed his frustrations to be vented in a Labor Branch meeting when he moved a motion (carried, by the way) to ask the Local Government Minister to intervene in Shoalhaven Council operations?

After the dust of shock and horror settled, it became clear that Clr Krikstolaitis was saying out loud what so many are more diplomatically thinking: maybe it is time to bring in the administrators?

What would it look like to have Council run by an administrator instead of elected Councillors? 

To answer that, I suggest you read this provocative, personal perspective from someone who has worked on the inside of Local Government for 22 years.

You might not agree with the author, but his experience is convincing and he respectfully accepts opposing opinion.

This position comes from Neal Ames, the Recreation & Open Space Planner at Midcoast Council. Ames is passionate about his work and his LinkedIn profile summarises an extensive and successful career. 

Ames argues that while local government is crucially important for the delivery of public services, elected councillors can be more hindrance than help in our modern era of direct community consultation and ratepayers paying for blown budgets.

Would local government be more efficient without councillors?

by Neal Ames

"Local councils are highly efficient, except for one thing. Everything that happens within Local Government is directed towards the Councillors.

So, is there a better model? Yes, there is."

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/would-local-government-australia-more-efficient-without-neal-ames