Mayor’s money

By Ed Merrison
THE long-term finances of Knox and its people are the major concern of new mayor Jim Penna.
The Baird Ward councillor was elected unanimously on Wednesday, 29 November to take the place of immediate past mayor and Scott Ward councillor David Cooper.
Cr Penna congratulated Cr Cooper on the “sincere and enthusiastic way” he had acted as mayor and was honoured to accept his new position.
“I’m pleased to have the confidence of my fellow councillors,” he said.
“It is a privilege and makes me feel very humble.”
At the same time, Cr Penna said the council faced significant challenges such as ensuring long-term financial sustainability without overburdening ratepayers.
“Even with the long-awaited redressing of the insidious cost-shifting that has occurred, we still have massive challenges in providing for the rehabilitation and replacement of our infrastructure assets – our roads, our footpaths, our buildings – as well as the provision of new facilities in keeping with the changing needs of our people and the changing environment,” he said.
The council is about to start work on its five-year long term financial plan and strategy and will be making decisions Cr Penna said would determine the council’s levels of expenditure and revenue not just for the next five years but also for several years beyond.
Cr Penna, who was one of five new councillors elected in 2005, said the council was well-placed to face its challenges after a good first year.
“We’ve been able to learn from each other, adjust to each other and find confidence in each other. I think we’re working in a very cohesive and effective fashion, Cr Penna said.
He said the high point of his first year in office was the 2006-07 budget, where the council backed down and publicly apologised after a plan to change the rates system by introducing a fixed garbage charge met with a furious community backlash, especially from the elderly.
Cr Penna said the outcome was an example of democracy at work, while another personal highlight was seeing the Boronia community come together to fight off a strip club planning application.
He was also heavily involved in a lengthy community consultation process that resulted in the October release of the Boronia Structure Plan which seeks to improve leisure and business opportunities while retaining the suburb’s character.
Cr Penna also sees another document, the council’s Vision 2025, as being critical in shaping the municipality’s future.
Vision 2025, a draft of which was put out for five weeks’ public consultation on Tuesday, 28 November, lists health, culture, transport, environment, urban development, economic strength and public services as its key themes.
“We’ve spared no effort in obtaining the views, aspirations, hopes and dreams of all our stakeholders,” Cr Penna said of the document’s initial consultation period. “The golden aspirations of Vision 2025 will determine the directions we chart over the next few years,” he said.