THE City of Fremantle has ticked off on its 2018-19 budget, which includes a 1.8 per cent rate increase.
Among the big ticket items in the budget is $44 million for the construction of the new civic and library building, $3.2 million for the Fremantle Park Sports and Community Centre, a progress payment of about $500,000 towards the purchase of Fremantle Oval, $230,000 for various building works at the Fremantle Markets and $1.75m for road improvement works.
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Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said the modest rate increase continued the trend set over the previous two budgets to keep rate rises low.
“The 1.8 per cent increase adopted in the 2019-20 budget is the second lowest rate increase since 2000,” he said
“In fact, the three smallest rate increases over the past 20 years have been delivered in the past three budgets.”
Dr Pettitt said the increase aligned with the Local Government Cost Index prepared by the WA Local Government Association.
“Although it is higher than the Consumer Price Index for WA, CPI is not an accurate reflection of local government costs,” he said.
“WALGA’s Local Government Cost Index takes into account CPI as well as more specific costs like electricity and street lighting, which have gone up by 5.8 per cent in the past year.
“The fact that we can deliver a transformational development the scale of the Kings Square Renewal project while also keeping rate increases low is a testament to the City’s sound management and prudent financial planning.”