THIS year, the Glenelg Shire Council is taking a different approach to seeking public input on how the next financial year’s budget should look.

Starting yesterday (February 6), council officers will be seeking community input during the budget’s development stages, rather than when the draft is made available for public comment in June.

Public sessions will be held across the Shire through the month, where the public will be able to discuss with Council staff what they would like the budget to look like.

For those unable to make one of these sessions, an online submission form will be available.

Glenelg Mayor, Karen Stephens said previously Council only considered public submissions after the draft budget was published for public comment – traditionally in May, with submissions heard in June.

Only giving a relatively short time before the final budget is adopted, council said this old process made substantial changes difficult to incorporate, because legislation requires Council to adopt the budget before the end of June.

“The message I’d like to get across this year is that February is when we want to hear those submissions, which gives us more time to consider them before we prepare the draft budget,” Cr Stephens said.

“Council also wants to know about specific projects, which align with the council plan, that you would like considered as part of the budget setting process.

“The current financial climate may see a limited amount of money allocated to new initiatives.”

All survey submissions will be reviewed against the Council’s strategic priorities and budget, with ideas that satisfy these criteria to be considered by Council, for prioritising for funding in the 2024-25 budget or referred for consideration in subsequent years.

Glenelg Shire ratepayer, Nick Harvey backed the move, but wanted more from Council in terms of raising awareness of the sessions.

“If it is a structural shift in the timeline for setting the budget going forward, it is a good thing,” he said.

“But I am sceptical of whether the council and its offices have changed their MO (modus operandi) regarding their engagement, given that the first meeting is in Nelson (last night) then Dartmoor tonight, and there hasn’t been one advertisement in any of the papers that I’m aware of to let people know the engagement process has started.

“I am quite sure nobody in Nelson would knew there was a meeting on, and quite sure nobody is aware there is another one in Dartmoor.

“If you aren’t going to advertise it, then nobody will know it is even on.”

Casterton’s session is scheduled for later this month and Mr Harvey encouraged people to get along and have their say.

“If they want input into the budget, now is the time to do it,” he said.

“In the past, Council has done a draft budget and had a relatively short time before the end of June before they vote on the budget.

“We have been told in recent years that they couldn’t change anything, because it was too close, so it is better to have input into the drafted budget, but all that stands for nought if nobody is aware the meeting is on.

“I would encourage everyone to get along and have your say, especially now that the council has changed its rules around council meeting question time, which has reduced the amount of input.

“People should also get along and remind councillors that one fifth of their rates is money that council chose to take above the rate cap above the past two years.”

Casterton’s information session is on February 20 at the Town Hall.