By Alesha Capone
A move by a Wyndham councillor to adopt a 10 per rate cut during the COVID-19 pandemic has been described as “irresponsible” and “a vote-grab”.
At a meeting last week, Cr Intaj Khan raised a notice of motion urging the council to adopt the fee waiver for each property across the city.
He described the council’s existing plan to defer rates for some businesses for six months because of the pandemic as “not good enough” and said Wyndham was home to many migrants and young families who had already lost jobs or businesses in the current crisis.
Several Wyndham councillors criticised the move, one comparing the idea to a Monty Python skit.
Cr Henry Barlow, who was first elected to the council in 1997, said: “This would have to be the worst notice of motion I’ve ever heard in my life”.
“It looks as if it comes out of a Monty Python sketch.”
Cr Barlow said that cutting rates by 10 per cent would give the majority of residents an extra $2.80 to $4 per week.
He said he sent Cr Khan an email on March 31, urging Cr Khan to be transparent about where the cuts would be “otherwise this just looks like blatant electioneering with a council election coming up”.
Cr Kim McAliney said Cr Khan had not provided any financial modelling to support a 10 per cent rate reduction, which would result in “severe cuts” to the council’s capital programs and staff.
Cr Peter Maynard said a 10 per cent cut in rates would result in the loss of about $21 million from the council’s annual budget.
“This is an ill-conceived and unwarranted notice of motion, that has no sustainability for this council whatsoever,” he said.
“I think it’s nothing but a vote-grab.”
Cr Tony Hooper described the notice of motion as “grandstanding at best and outright manipulation at worst”.
Cr John Gibbons said: “It’s a crazy motion and I oppose it”.
Cr Khan was the only councillor to vote in favour of the motion, although Cr Walter Villagonzalo abstained from the final vote.
