Council’s mandate to apply for this increase is based on a flawed survey of 32,000 rate payers, of which only 7.4% approved.

BMCC’s costs are already well above the State’s average.

Households simply do not have these additional funds to pay to a council that has a track record of mismanagement of existing rate revenue.

Statistics show that Katoomba is in the top three of mortgage default suburbs in the state and therefore could not absorb this additional impost.

In taking more monies from the community, the proposed increase would only exacerbate the already deteriorating situation where small business numbers and therefore employment, have decreased in the mountains.

Some examples of Council mismanagement include:

Council’s compounding debt of $7 mil per year demonstrates a lack of fiscal control with total debt now at close to $70 mil.

Council’s property portfolio yielding a low return on investment and a lack of control over maintenance issues.