City of Stirling refuses to economise

AT a time when the state’s economy is struggling, we read daily reports of organisations economising and, sadly, cutting staff.

Generally, the expectation in this tough economic climate is for fewer workers to produce more.

Yet the City of Stirling seems to consider itself immune from this need to economise. It does not have to compete in the free market for its funds. Instead, it just sets a figure and passes it on to ratepayers. They have no right of appeal.

It is against this background that one must question why Stirling’s employee costs are budgeted to rise by 6.45 per cent – up from $93 million to $99 million, as reported in the Times on July 12. The need for austerity does not seem to exist at Stirling council.

Alternatively, is this huge increase (far more than double CPI) because provision is being made to pay more bonuses to the council’s executives on top of their already generous salaries?

R. VOGT, Carine.