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West Australian
2 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
City of Rockingham council reduces rate rise to 3.5% but cost-of-living support carries $460k shortfall
Rates are on the rise in the City of Rockingham but not to the extent first mooted. The council opted to go against a proposal to lift rates by 3.9 per cent next financial year in favour of a 'more modest' increase of 3.5 per cent. The higher figure would have enabled the city to lock away a war chest for planned upgrades at Aqua Jetty and Mike Barnett Sports Complex, but opting for the lower figure has left a $460,000 hole in the council's annual budget and uncertainty about where the cost shortfalls for those projects will come from. Cr Kelly Middlecoat led the charge at last week's meeting to limit the rates increase to 3.5 per cent, arguing that ratepayers were already paying an extra $33 due to the FOGO waste levy. 'Having a look at the broader economic picture, the CPI for the 12 months ended 31 March 2025 was 2.4 per cent and the WA local government cost index is forecast to be 2.7 per cent this year,' she said. 'This shows our proposed increase is outpacing the general cost of living and even specific costs faced by local government. 'A rate increase of 3.9 per cent was intended to generate some additional revenue over and above what was required in order to address the funding shortfalls for the Aqua Jetty and Mike Barnett projects. 'The precise budget for these projects remains unquantified, with neither project being shovel-ready next financial year.' Council members voted unanimously for Cr Middlecoat's alternative motion. In a later statement, Rockingham mayor Deb Hamblin said the council's annual budget aimed to strike a balance between addressing community needs while acknowledging cost-of-living pressures. 'Council listened to community concerns about the current economic circumstances facing many households and has kept the rate increase to a minimum,' Ms Hamblin said. 'The increase is 3.5 per cent which equates to approximately $1.06 per week for the average residence, and is lower than advertised to support our ratepayers with cost-of-living pressures. 'In addition, council has supported not charging interest on rates-smoothing payments for the 2025-2026 financial year to provide further assistance with cost-of-living pressures. This option will greatly assist ratepayers choosing this option to pay their rates without any extra costs.' Ms Hamblin said the budget was prepared with an eye on the future while continuing to meet the community's aspirations defined in the 2023-2033 Strategic Community Plan. It includes money to complete the Stan Twight clubroom redevelopment, the final stage of the Baldivis Sporting Complex including outdoor courts, Southern Pavilion and outdoor recreation space, the Anniversary Park clubroom redevelopment and the relocation of Lotteries House. 'As a rapidly growing outer metropolitan local government area with a current population of more than 150,000 people, keeping pace with the growing needs of the community and maintaining existing assets and services remain ongoing challenges,' she said. 'In addition, with 37 kilometres of coastline, climate change is a major challenge for us. That's why 0.5 per cent of rates will be allocated to a coastal hazard risk management and adaptation plan reserve account to help fund future climate change mitigation works.' Ratepayers who want to take advantage of the interest-free arrangement need to have an existing arrangement or sign up using the application form that will arrive with the rates notice.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Matt Stewart returns to law enforcement as Newton County Sheriff
NEOSHO, Mo. — For 187 years, the Newton County sheriff's office has provided law enforcement services to the people of Newton County. Established in 1838, it has gone from a two-man department to one that consists of three divisions: patrol, investigation and corrections. Each division is supervised by a captain, and all are led by newly elected Sheriff Matt Stewart. Stewart, who was elected in November as the county's 45th sheriff, spent four years as the Children's Center director in Joplin. Prior to that role, he worked through the ranks to become the Joplin police chief. He retired from Joplin Police Department in 2020 after 20 years of service. 'I've always had a desire ... was drawn to law enforcement,' Stewart said. 'I saw it is a place to give back to the community and serve the public in some capacity.' Other command staff members include Chief Deputy Joe Moore, who joined the department alongside Stewart. For the past four years, Moore served as the police chief in Lamar, following a 20-year career with the Joplin Police Department. The department has 30 uniformed deputies working under the leadership of Capt. Mike Barnett. Barnett has worked in law enforcement for 32 years, with 28 at the Newton County sheriff's office. He's worked his way up from being a patrol officer to first leading the corrections division for seven years to today leading the patrol division. The Investigation Division, which includes eight detectives and a civilian victim's advocate, is led by Capt. Stacy Moore, whose law enforcement experience began as a commissioned U.S. Army infantry officer and later as a military intelligence officer. After eight years of military service, he joined the FBI as a special agent. Following his retirement from the FBI, he joined Newton County in January as the captain of the Investigation Division. The Corrections Division, led by Capt. Jerry Hornback, has a 42-member team. Jerry Hornback also began his career with the U.S. military, serving for 20 years with both the U.S. Air Force and the National Guard. He served as a military police investigator prior to joining the Newton County sheriff's office in 2005. He began as a court bailiff and rose through the ranks to become the Correction Division supervisor that oversees the jail and courthouse security. Transparency Stewart said he has set a goal to increase the office's transparency with the community. This has included social media posts, providing information about weekly service call numbers, as well as ongoing investigations. Other data, including a daily arrest log, is posted to the office's website. Stewart said he wants Newton County residents to see what his deputies are doing on an ongoing basis to help keep residents safe. Since January, Stewart has also hosted a monthly 'Coffee with the Sheriff' at various locations around the county. He said it allows residents to voice concerns about issues within their communities, as well as provide feedback. In March, the county became part of the Blue Shield Program, an initiative created by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe designed to recognize a community's commitment to enhancing public safety and support for law enforcement. As a member of the Blue Shield Program, county officials can access a pool of $10 million in state grants for law enforcement training and equipment. Goals, initiatives Looking ahead, Stewart hopes to begin the bidding process this summer for a new evidence facility located at the sheriff's office. He would also like to work to increase retirement benefits for those working within the department. 'I hope we can get to the point where we invest in our employees here, the best we can, to make sure they have a good retirement in place,' Stewart said. 'We also hope the community sees us as a responsible agency, and we develop the trust of the community.' Stewart said he wants county residents to know everyone in the office is there to serve them, to make 'Newton County the safest place it can possibly be.'
