Schier clarifies rate pledge
MAYOR-elect Val Schier has admitted that rates will rise under her leadership, despite issuing a written promise before the election that they would not.
The victorious Cairns 1st leader was forced to clarify her policy last night after being questioned about a press release sent out on Friday in which she said: "I have made it clear that rates will not be raised and that our commitments will be funded from the existing budget."
She told The Cairns Post yesterday that the statement had been written in haste as she responded to a Unity Team claim that she would raise rates.
"I meant there would be no rises in rates other than in line with the CPI (consumer price index)," Ms Schier said.
Her full policy had been posted on Cairns 1st’s website throughout the election campaign, she said.
Ms Schier said her council would not rely on Unimproved Capital Value evaluations to determine rates.
"The council doesn’t have to automatically pass those on," she said.
Her comments come as the Department of Natural Resources released land valuations of a million Queensland properties.
Cairns experienced an overall average increase of 24 per cent since the last valuation in 2006.
The former Douglas shire recorded an 18 per cent increase since the 2004 valuation.
Premier Anna Bligh pleaded with mayors of amalgamated councils across the state not to raise rates following the increases.
"My appeal to those mayors out there is to be aware that right now we’ve got a lot of households under stress," Ms Bligh said. "The mere fact of valuation rises does not automatically require a rate rise."
Ms Schier also denied reports she would cut funding to Advance Cairns.
Instead, she would seek to review the council’s contribution to the business lobby group and suggest a "possible reshaping of that organisation".
"But we are only one of the stakeholders," Ms Schier said.
It has been suggested that former mayor Kevin Byrne might apply for the position of Advance Cairns’ chief executive officer, which has been vacant for three months and was advertised last weekend.
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Oops: Mayor-elect Val Schier has clarified her pre-election pledge that stated "Cairns 1st won't raise rates".
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