QUEANBEYAN City Council will head into the next financial year with a cash surplus.

The council’s draft Operation Plan 2012-13, currently on public exhibition, has revealed a cash surplus of  $133,219.

Queanbeyan City Council general manager Gary Chapman said council’s financial planning shows that it expects to receive $93.8 million in income for the financial year while expenditure will total $108.4 million, including $14.7 million of depreciation.

“When you take depreciation out of the figures, we are left with a small surplus of around $130,000,” Mr Chapman said.

“The development of the 2012-13 budget was a difficult exercise for Council and staff had to look very hard at some of their expenditure to ensure we could deliver a balanced budget.

“Restrictions placed on Council by rate pegging make it increasingly difficult for Council to meet the demands of the community in terms of level of service. For the 2012-13 financial year councils were permitted to increase their rateable income by 3.6 per cent, however with valuation objections and adjustments this was reduced to 3.2 per cent for Queanbeyan City Council.

“This means our rateable income could only increase by 3.2 per cent while our expenses increased by 5 per cent despite numerous cost saving measures.”

Queanbeyan mayor Tim Overall said in the 2012-13 financial year, a number of significant projects will be undertaken.

“Of significant note, is that Council will not be undertaking any borrowing (except finances leases for IT equipment) during the 2012-13 financial year, meaning Council’s debt service ratio remains at a very conservative 2.3 per cent which is well below the NSW Government’s benchmark for local government of 10 per cent,” Cr Overall said.

The draft Operational Plan 2012-13 is on public exhibition until Friday 25 May, to see it visit the Council’s Customer Service Centre at 257 Crawford St, Queanbeyan between 8.30am-4.30pm weekdays; Library at 257 Crawford St, Queanbeyan during Library opening hours; or at www.qcc.nsw.gov.au. Submissions close 4pm on Friday May 25.

[box]Queanbeyan City Council’s $20 million worth of capital works in 2012/13 includes:

• $7 million on the realignment of Old Cooma Rd (Stage 1)
•$2 million on upgrades to the Queanbeyan Sewerage Treatment Plant
•$1.15 million on extensions to the Jerrabomberra Community Centre
•$1.02 million on the continuation of the CityCARE asset maintenance and renewal program
•$1 million on preliminary design and environmental works for Ellerton Drive Ring Road Extension, 13 intersections around Queanbeyan and further stages of Old Cooma Rd improvements
•$250,000 for upgrade of Queanbeyan Park toilet block
•$180,000 to upgrade amenities and extend facilities at Margaret Donoghue Oval
•$150,000 to develop Sensory Gardens around Waniassa Park
•$131,180 on Council’s cyclepath program. [/box]