[Robert Hay]

Hi Everyone

This question has been raised and I’m doing some research.

Does anyone offer any kind of discount or incentives for residential ratepayers who pay on time such as movie tickets, free swimming lessons, food vouchers or any other options.

The question has been asked in light of recent increased cost of living pressures.

Thanks

Robert

[Andrea Dolan]

Hi Robert,

CBCity don’t offer any incentives. It was explored some time ago for payment in full at the start of the year, but deemed too expensive for the impact it would have. We haven’t explored payment on time for instalments.

Andrea

[Cherie Muir]

Hi Robert
We have no pay early incentives at Shoalhaven.
Wollongong did way back (prior to GFC when interest rates were attractive).It was relatively successful although required layers of rigour, scrutiny and transparency, e.g. permit from gaming authority (winner was drawn from those that had paid in full by 31 August), procurement relationship with suppliers (of the giveaways), and the internal process of extracting eligible ratepayers had to be signed off (validated as sound) by an external auditor. Staff were excluded (I think … a long time ago), etc.
Regards
Cherie

p.s. the prize at Gong was a car. Or cars (I think it may have occurred two years in a row).

• This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Cherie Muir.

[Cherie Muir]

p.s. Robert …
There was quite a bit of valid flack about equity from ratepayers who could no afford to pay rates in full (being precluded). But of course that was a pay annual rates in full scheme.

[Robert Hay]

Thanks Cherie & Andrea

Even if you don’t offer anything can you please let me know as this data is invaluable in forming an opinion.

Thanks

[Andrew Butcher]

Hi Robert

We don’t offer any discounts or prizes at Campbelltown, the only incentive to pay is to avoid penalty interest by making payment on time.

When I was at Camden, Neil and I undertook an extensive review of the discount for payment in full by 31 August that resulted in it being withdrawn. We found similar inequity issues raised by Cherie and cited affordability concerns. Also, the cashflow benefit was not significant enough to warrant the costs of the discount and this was at a time when interest rates were much higher than they are now.

Hope this is of assistance.

Regards,
Andrew

[Anita Gillies]

Hi Robert
The suggestion regarding Council offering payment on time or payment in full discounts is raised and considered periodically. It generally does not receive support due to several factors. These include:
• The level of discount that would be required to be an incentive to pay early;
• loss of income to Council that funds essential services;
• discriminatory impact on those sections of the community that do not have the financial capacity to take advantage of the opportunity.
Regards
Anita

[Dallas McConnell]

Cherie has some really good info.
The prizes for pay in full had ended by the time i started at Wollongong in 2015, but i do recall the discussions around the inequity of those who couldnt afford to pay in full being disadvantaged.

If memory serves me correctly we did a review after the fact and found that when we stopped offering the pay in full prizes the % of ratepayers who paid in full remained the same, meaning not offering didnt deter or alter ratepayers payment patterns.

As an aside, when i was a ratepayer and before employment at Council the prize of a car did entice me to pay in full those years **though i didnt win 🙁
I recall it running for 2 years.

Cheers,
Dallas

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