Snowy Monaro Regional Council (SMRC) CEO David Hogan warns that Council’s financial position will only worsen if it does not better prioritise spending and service delivery along with better investment in modern technology and improved systems to support our services.
‘As we prepare the next budget, we are now looking at a multimillion dollar operating cash shortfall just for next financial year. In addition, Council is overcommitted beyond both its financial resources and internal capacity to meet broad and growing community expectations. You can only spend what you have and right now we are committed to projects and services we can no longer fund to the extent we currently are. I will be upfront with the community about that,’ Mr Hogan said.
As Council considers its next budget, councillors will be asked to prioritise what must be done, what should be done, and the what’s ‘nice to do’ – subject to rigorous review. It’s time for an upfront and honest conversation with the community.
Mr Hogan stated that while councillors have already made a range of major decisions in recent years to deal with some of Council’s financial challenges, such as the special rate variation, financial sustainability review in 2022, and recent aged care divestment, there is more to be done.
The CEO believes the best outcome is for the community to retain a say in what Council funds, rather than see these decisions made under administration, which is what we risk if we don’t navigate these very challenging realities well. Such is the seriousness of our situation, hard decisions are now unavoidable.
