By Callum Ludwig
New figures are starting to be locked in on the finances of councils around the state, with new rates set to be adopted as budgets are finalised while remuneration for councillors is being looked at.
The Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal permitted a two per cent increase to base allowances payable to Mayors, Deputy Mayors and Councillors from 1 July 2023 and 18 December 2023 in last year’s Annual Adjustment while the Victorian Government set a rate cap of 2.75 per cent.
The Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal has Yarra Ranges Council categorised as a Category 3 council (second highest possible, behind Category 4 which is only for Melbourne City Council), meaning that the Mayor has a base allowance per annum of $130,390, $65,195 for Deputy Mayors and $39,390 for Councillors.
The Star Mail took a look at the rate rises set to be adopted at Yarra Ranges Council as well as what executives and councillors are getting paid.
Yarra Ranges residents are set to see the maximum 2.75 per cent increase in their rates in 2024/25, with the base average rate rising from $2092.70 to $2102.58. The cap for the average rate is currently $2160.40, set from the maximum allowed by previous rate rises.
All rateable properties (residential, commercial, industrial properties, farming, recreational/cultural and vacant) saw a 5.4 per cent increase in their differential rate between 2022/23 to 2023/24.
Yarra Ranges Council expects to receive $146,516,256 in revenue from this year’s total rates and municipal charges.
From July 2023 to March 2024, Yarra Ranges councillors (Johanna Skelton, Fiona McAllister, Tim Heenan, Len Cox, Richard Higgins and Andrew Fullagar) were given an allowance of $29,153.70.
David Eastham, who became Deputy Mayor in November 2023, had an allowance of $38,903.72.
Jim Child, who stepped down as Mayor at the end of October 2023, has had an allowance of $61,336.05.
Mayor Sophie Todorov, who was Deputy Mayor before taking up the role of Mayor in November, has had an allowance of $73,749.83.
Expenses claimed by councillors varied:
Cr Higgins: $0
Cr Skelton: $63.64
Cr McAllister: $72.73
Cr Cox: $457.56
Cr Heenan: $495.35
Cr Eastham: $1251.23
Cr Child: $5237.74
Cr Todorov: $5566.65
Cr Fullagar: $5712.55
In total, between base allowances and expenses, Yarra Ranges Council has paid $367,769.25 to councillors in the nine months between July 2023 and March 2024.
According to Yarra Ranges Council’s most recent Financial Report for 2022/23, the highest-paid executive, assumed to be CEO Tammi Rose, was afforded a remuneration package between $400,000 and $400,999 for the year ending 30 June 2023.
All other Council executives had a package between $220,000 and $339,999 for the same period.
This includes the current Director of Planning and Sustainable Futures Kath McClusky, Director of Corporate Services Andrew Hilson, former Director of Communities Jane Price (left in late 2023) and Director of Built Environment and Infrastructure Hjalmar Philipp (who only came on board on 20 February 2023) as well as the former Director of Environment and Infrastructure Mark Varmalis (from 1 Jul 22 to 28 Aug 22) and the former Director of Recovery Jane Sinnamon (from 1 Jul 22 to 31 Dec 22).
18 further senior staff at Yarra Ranges Council had packages between $160,000 and $219,999.
