By ANEEKA SIMONIS & KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
RATEPAYER advocate Collin Ross has defended his title as one of Cardinia Shire’s most expensive councillors, despite repetitive hard-line tactics to save residents’ hip pocket.
Ranking third after 2015 Deputy Mayor Graeme Moore and Mayor Leticia Wilmot, he claimed $8046 in travel expenses alone in the first 10 months of the year.
But the Central Ward Councillor says all claims were necessary due to his role as a delegate on several city-based committees including the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) and Metro Waste Regional Group.
“I am someone who believes that if you are on a committee, you turn up to the meetings or else give the position to someone else,” he explained.
His ratepayer-funded expense claims, totalling more than $8500, far exceed each of the three other ward councillors.
His expense total comes in at more than 12 times that claimed by councillor Kate Lempriere and three times the amount claimed by new Mayor Jodie Owen.
Cr Ross again defended his high expenses, claiming they were for the benefit of ratepayers.
“If you aren’t going to be an active councillor and don’t do things, you shouldn’t be one. You should be a pen pusher elsewhere,” he said.
His position on council has long been criticised by fellow councillors and ratepayers who claim his strong support against rate rises and constant advocacy for state-government rate caps are a political stunt.
Cr Ross last year ran for the seat of Gembrook at the State Election.
In a letter published in the Gazette this week, Pakenham resident Mark Guinane said: “While Cr Ross makes a lot of noise about opposing every budget and rate rise, he does neglect to tell us he is by far the most expensive councillor to keep.“
An earlier published letter labelled the councillor a hypocrite.
However, Cr Ross denies the push for lowered rates is a vote scoring tactic, arguing he has maintained the position for his entire political career at the expense of moving up the council food chain.
His view has been the cause of many internal rifts between councillors, he claimed.
“It has cost me my position. I will never, ever be mayor,” he said, suggesting the closed, internal election would not be won by a councillor opposed to spending.
“I have no idea why they (councillors) don’t support the community.”
Cost-cutting campaigner Collin Ross is the third most expensive councillor in the field of expenses. See where your councillor rates.
But his interest in saving ratepayer funds did not come into play at a recent council meeting where Cr Ross abstained from voting on a motion to reduce the per kilometre rate claimed by councillors.
He justified the decision as a conflict of interest.
“As someone on a lot of committees, cutting the rate would have had a direct impact on me either way, and I felt it shouldn’t have been for me to decide.”
He described spending as an “addiction” suffered by council which may look to use scare tactics to convince ratepayers into supporting the annual rise.
He claimed council will tug at the heart strings of ratepayers by threatening funding to core services when the rate caps are introduced.
However, he said delaying unnecessary infrastructure would be the key to sustainably managing the cap.
“I believe a lot of infrastructure can be delayed or left off. We have ovals that no one is playing on, so why are we building pavilions on top of them?”
Asked why he still attends events including openings of ratepayer- funded infrastructure despite his fierce opposition to spending, Cr Ross said it was his responsibility.
“As soon as something is passed through council, it is my responsibility to sit in the room and make sure the money is spent responsibly.“
Cr Graeme Moore overwhelmingly took out the title as Cardinia Shire’s most expensive councillor, claiming $15,549 in the 10-month period.
He said he never missed a community event and believed the claims were necessary to best serve Cardinia Shire ratepayers.
“I wouldn’t be a good councillor if I weren’t going to events. That’s my job,” he said, adding he was out on council business at least three times a week.
“I connect with the community. I am hands on and go out and speak to people and meet them. It is a necessary expense.”
He further explained he does not claim all expenses involved in his public service role.
Cr Moore, one of two councillors representing the 851 square kilometre Port Ward, criticised Cr Ross representing a ward more than 35 times smaller than his own.
“I don’t understand how Collin Ross in Central Ward does that many kilometres,” he said.
“It’s questionable.”
