CALLING FOR COMMUNITY IDEAS Message from the Mayor B y the time you read this, I will have served for a year as your Mayor of Logan. it’s just a choice between big rate increases or cutting services. I want to put everything on the table: from new accounting methods to better funding from other levels of government.
Should we slow down to save money or lean in and push hard to provide the infrastructure people want, to improve how you move around our city? As the fastest growing city in Queensland, we face enormous demand for roads and water infrastructure. Over the next few months, your Councillors and I are holding regular meetings about our budget. We want to do everything we can to protect the services you love while looking for savings and efficiencies that can keep rate increases as low as possible. Everything is on the table. I’m not just looking for ratepayers to help with this, I’ll also talk to other levels of government to see how they can help. Remember, Council is not a business – we don’t make profit. Every dollar we collect goes straight back into the city. We exist to serve the community and improve your quality of life by making our city the best it can be. If you would like to share your ideas, please send them through to me at mayor@logan.qld.gov.au – Mayor Jon Raven
Every day on my way to the office I am reminded of how grateful I am to be working for you. The people of Logan are amazing and I love living here. To me, there’s no question why we’re the fastest-growing city in Queensland. There are so many wonderful opportunities here. Your Councillors and I are working to lift our city, attract investment and solve challenges. We have achieved so much in these first 12 months such as delivering on more CCTV to keep our city safe, rates reform expanding the early payment discount to more households, and encouraging investment and innovation from more businesses in our city. These are great outcomes for the community, but there is still an issue that I want to keep an eye on as we set about delivering the next financial year’s budget. Costs for Council continue to increase well ahead of the cost of living. We aren’t the only ones with these challenges. When I speak to other mayors from South East Queensland they are all feeling the same pressures. Councils across the country are dealing with the soaring cost of managing the infrastructure and assets that cities need. They are incredibly expensive. But in a region growing so quickly, adequate roads, water and sewerage services are vital. I want to be clear: I don’t believe
I’d like to take this opportunity to ask you as an Our Logan reader to let me know your ideas, because this is the start of an important conversation.
We exist to serve the community and improve your quality of life
When I ran for election as Mayor, I promised I would consult with the community before decisions are made. It takes more work, but I believe that we make much better decisions with your feedback. Understanding your priorities means I can make more informed decisions because I understand what matters to you. Are you happy with the services we provide? Do you think some of them need improvement? Are there ones you think aren’t a good use of ratepayer funds? Or do you want more information about the services we provide so that you can think about it more? Infrastructure costs for roads, drainage, water and sewerage (which includes maintaining and renewing our old infrastructure as well as building new improvements) makes up 70 per cent of the cost of our budget.
Wraparound cover photo Pictured front: Dr Lewes Peddell Location: Butterbox Theatre at Kingston Butter Factory, Kingston Photographer: Josh Woning, of J & A Photography
Logan City Council acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging and extends that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the City of Logan. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that images of people who may now be deceased may appear in this magazine. Our Logan magazine reflects the Australian Government Style Manual stylemanual.gov.au
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