Shoalhaven Councillors have considered 28 rescission motions since they were elected in September 2016.
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That equates to more than one rescission motion lodged per ordinary meeting.
Rescission motions are lodged by councillors after they lose the vote on an issue, in the hope they can persuade colleagues to change their vote to ultimately alter the decision at the next meeting.
In the majority of cases, the outcome does not change.
Most recently, Shoalhaven councillors lodged a rescission motion on the rate rise to be implemented in July.
Council has scheduled an extra ordinary meeting to resolve the matter on Thursday afternoon.
Deputy mayor Patricia White said objectors were wasting their time.
“It’s a tradition, they’ve done this seven years running,” she said.
“It’s not cheap to run a council meeting again and the vote’s not going to change.
“This is history repeating itself.”
Cr White said this particular group of councillors were far more inclined to lodge a rescission motion if they disagree with the outcome than councillors in years leading up to September 2016.
“On the previous council we always rescission motions about the budget, but never the extra ones,” she said.
“We just accepted the outcome.”
At Shoalhaven council meetings, it is not uncommon for issues that elicit rescission motions to be debated for hours.
And time is money.
There are a range of costs for each council meeting.
Costs include:
- Staff costs related to the preparation of the business papers and attendance for some staff at the meetings. (This depends upon size and complexity of reports and length of meeting).
- Councillors are reimbursed for travel to the meetings in accordance with the Council Members – Payment of Expenses and Provision of Facilities Policy
- Advertising
- Catering – tea and coffee are provided for each meeting. Where it is envisaged that a meeting will proceed past 7pm a light meal is provided.
Rescission motions can be effective, the motions lodged in relation to the Bomaderry pool and RFS station funding changed the outcome.
Not all rescission motions result in extra ordinary meetings.
Unless there is urgency, they are incorporated in the agenda in the next ordinary meeting of the council.