By Jeremy Sollars
BREAKING: Southern Downs councillors will debate and are expected to adopt the draft 2017-’18 council budget this Wednesday, 5 April, at a closed meeting at the Stanthorpe council chambers.
A meeting notice was placed on the council website earlier today, Monday, advising councillors their attendance will be required at 10am at the chambers on Wednesday.
The meeting will move into “confidential committee” to discuss the draft budget, which is expected to be put out for public comment for 28 days, as was the case last year.
The original council budget timetable had scheduled the adoption meeting for Wednesday 22 March, with the start of the public consultation period originally set down for last Monday, 27 March.
Councillors are expected to hold two briefing sessions to allow individual presentations of public submissions after the 28 days ends – one in Warwick and one in Stanthorpe – before adopting the final budget at a special budget meeting, set down on the original timetable for Wednesday 14 June.
Rates notices are expected to be issued in the first week in July.
