The state government has invested so much into its Fit For The Future local government reforms, it’s no surprise that the situation has reached the point of veiled threats.
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Maitland City Council and Dungog Shire Council will hold emergency meetings on Monday to finalise their positions on the government’s push for them to merge.
Both councils have vigorously rejected the possibility of a joint venture for several months, but that could change.
Maitland and Dungog councillors have to decide whether to dig their heels in and possibly be dismissed from their duties or bend to the state’s will and try to grind out a slightly better deal for ratepayers.
While he hasn’t directly threatened to sack non-compliant councils, Local Government Minister Paul Toole told all mayors last week that councils would be able to serve out the rest of their terms if they agreed to mergers.
That implies dismissal for councils that don’t tow the line.
Before anyone starts calling for councillors to fall on their swords and stand against a merger on principle, it’s important to point out that the state will probably force councils to merge no matter what stance they take.
That means administrators who have no accountability to the voting public would be brought in to run the city and the government would no longer have councillors resisting a merger.
It looks like it will take a miracle to stop the arranged marriage between Maitland and Dungog.
At a time like this, when such important changes are taking place, we need leaders who can be held to account.
Maitland councillors have a tough decision ahead of them on Monday.
While it has been a bravely outspoken stance against the state so far, it may now be a time to change the approach.
