The Examiner reports today that despite council officers' best efforts, the local government community satisfaction survey recently published turned in the poorest satisfaction outcome ever in nine categories of council service.
This is just not good enough taking into account all that council officers have invested in these surveys. Clearly, with only 1240 respondents, council staff members have been far too relaxed and too much at arm length. This is especially so as they are the experts in the delivery of these services and setting the charges for them. They know what is going on.
Council officer know that Tasmanians get excellent service from their councils but ratepayers expect far too much. Generally speaking its the Councillors and Aldermen who interfere with the work of officers and it needs to be said that officers need to be taking more control of council business and get the elected representatives to be less convinced in regard to their self belief.
LGAT President, Barry Easter, is doing too little too late and his warm and fuzzy feelings in the Examiner in the end do nothing significant for those slogging it out on the coal face.
It seems that councils' waste management is grossly misunderstood. Council officers all do that very well. Apparently ratepayers have fallen victim to those green bleeding hearts who are encouraging them to want things that just cannot be delivered economically. If what they want were to be realised council jobs will be lost and local economies will fail.
Likewise, it appears that ratepayers want better roads and footpaths and better planning. What they need to realise is they are actually being well served and they need to be more appreciative of what they are getting.
There is no point in expecting what cannot be delivered. If ratepayers want more then they are going to have to pay more in rates. That would do two things, put more shoulders to the wheel but more importantly, put more grunt behind the shoulders already there.
Barry Hodge
KEEP OUR COUNCILS STRONG
Ratepayers with an axe to grind are far more likely to fill out such surveys so most are just biased to the serial complainers...you know the type...denied permission to build some ugly pile, dangerous dog impounded, parking infrigements.
ReplyDeleteCouncils are the greatest friend that the public has, and as long as Councils are the Authorities, they know more about the area than any local, believe me.
Time for ratepayers to get real and leave us alone to do our jobs. The more that ratepayers bug us with daft questions, the less time we have to serve them. So leave us to get on with our jobs Mr and Mrs Property Owner.
Hey! We pay your salaries with our rates. Don't you think we deserve a say in the levels and types of service? Without us, you people wouldn't have a job!
ReplyDeleteSigrid,
ReplyDeleteYeah, in theory but we pay rates too you know. In addition most wouldn't be able to earn any scratch without Councils doing roads, planning etc. Wouldn't even be many people living up here without sewerage and drains either!
What I'm saying Sig, is that Councils just aren't properly recognised for the fine work that they do.