Greater Hume Shire Council has determined it will move away from differential rating for residential and business landowners and introduce a common rate in the dollar by the 2012/2013 Financial Year.
This major shift in rating policy will result in the general rate burden changing between towns and villages within the Shire.
Cr Osborne said the impact of the proposed change will see increases in rates for residents and business owners in Jindera, the smaller villages and rural residential areas, while annual rates charged will fall in Culcairn, Henty, Holbrook and Walla Walla.
Proponents of the push to base rates on the value of the land instead of available services believe this is a fairer and more equitable system of rating across the shire.
“Why should a rate payer in Jindera with a property value of $175,000 pay $694.68 per year while a ratepayer in Holbrook pays $2,033 for the property of the same value as is happening with the current system,” Cr John McInerney said.
The new rating structure will see Jindera and Holbrook rate payers pay $1,084.40 per year for the property valued at $175,000 and $335.04 for the property valued at $30,000.
Greater Hume Shire Councillors were polarised on this issue. An amendment introduced by Cr Heather Wilton
became the motion and was adopted five to four.
The motion determined that Council construct a rating structure to be phased in over three years based on a common ad valorem rate for all residential and business categories.
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