Hilltops council has been dysfunctional since day one. There is no denying it. I’ve been banging my head against the brick wall for more than 8 years and each year, more Councillors realise that there’s something to my thoughts and rationale. Trying to bring three communities and local government areas together under a ‘brand’ Hilltops, while they continue to be distinctively different from each other, was always going to be a hard task. Especially when the task was not wanted or needed from the start.
Little has been amalgamated, water and sewer funds remain apart and a focus on bridge rebuilding occurs in the Young area while others in Boorowa and Harden continue to be of poor quality. Rates. Yes these Council areas would have needed to raise rates at some stage and most likely will have to under the continued forced merger that is Hilltops, but, if these Councils were on their own, they would have local people determining their own futures with their own money. At this stage money which comes in can go towards any project in the Council area, whether it should or shouldn’t is another matter.
We have a deficit of close to $50,000,000 and the blood doesn’t look to be stemming in the flow department any time soon. Residents and ratepayers have been shown utter contempt. They have asked for the simplest of questions to be formally asked of them. They want a poll held to show Council and Councillors the answer to the following question. ‘Do you want to remain in Hilltops or return to your former Council boundaries’. This poll must be held in the one place in each of the former Council areas and voted upon by those living in the former areas to provide solid data. This would potentially trigger a business case being prepared, but would need a further resolution of Council. The residents just want to have a poll first.
There has been a number of Councillors vote in what can best be described in my opinion as a voting block. This may not be the case, but if a question on notice was to ask how many times particular Councillors voted the same way on particular items in the last term of Council, it would be stark and would provide percentage figures.
I am running in two Council areas this term of Council. When you do things that are different, sometimes people get scared. In a perfect world I would love to serve both areas and be happy surviving on sausage sandwiches for dinner. I do enjoy serving the community and helping them where I can and where time allows. If I get elected to any Council it will be a gift from democracy. If I get elected in both, even better. If I don’t get elected in either, well that’s democracy. I want to share my skill-set in water which has been learnt across more than 7 years with a neighbouring Council, but if that’s not the case, maybe it’s not time yet. I could just focus on business ventures which are more profitable.
Being a Councillor does not yield a large financial return, we don’t do it for the money. What we do it for is to make a difference. After 12 years I do it more out of a sense of duty, that if I wasn’t there, what would happen. I feel other long-term Councillors feel the same. I stood up for the school swimmers at Jugiong Pool earlier this year and made a point. Although it was a powerful point, it needed to be made. Those living in villages aren’t second class citizens. It appears what we would have described as villages could now be viewed as Harden and Boorowa also. Being left behind. Young isn’t going ahead in leaps and bounds either and we appear to need a proper industrial park in the Cherry Capital Jugiong is now having more than $1.5 million spent on pool refurbishments, up by several hundred thousand dollars.
If we don’t make noise for people and places they will slowly die. We can’t let this happen. This election, know this. My love for the people I represent has not diminished. I will continue to oppose what is wrong with Council and Champion those who don’t think they have a voice. I will continue to be your powerful voice. I have been since 2012 and want to continue to be.
Vote 1 Matthew Stadtmiller, but you will have to choose wisely and choose more and follow the directions to make your vote count.
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