RMA Newsletter July 2003
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Revenue Management Association www.RMA.formsexpress.com.au NEWSLETTER 2003 Annual General Meeting Edition Proudly Sponsored by Forms Express (A Division of Express Promotions Australia Pty Ltd ) Your Best Value Supplier of Rate Notices, Animal Registrations, Business Forms and Special Mailing Requirements. For more information contact Sue Calder on Free Call 1800 808 862. MESSAGE FROM PUZZLE PAGE NEWSLETTER CONTENTS CO-ORDINATOR Hello and welcome to the last edition of the RMA ➣ President Report newsletter ➣ The Good Ole Days for 2002/2003 year. ➣ Penalty Interest Rate If you have read the Newsletter thoroughly then you may have It's hard to believe we are almost at another AGM. The realized the word “President” is included a number of times in RMA has once again had fantastic venues fabulous ➣ Rates Push for RSL Clubs sentences which do not make any sense. Has the editor lost the speakers and great friendships made networking with plot or is she being very clever keep reading. ➣ other RMA members. Have a laugh ➣ Become a Committee Member The puzzle this time is to count the words “President” A special President thank you to everyone who has throughout the newsletter and email the amount of “President” helped out with articles for the newsletter remember its ➣ D&B Sports Day words you found your newsletter let us know what you want to see in it. ➣ Membership News email your answer to This year the AGM will be held at ➣ Rate Impact Statement [email protected] Yarra Valley Country Club on Friday 15th August 2003. ➣ Recipe Page by the 1st August 2003 to win a prize. Happy Counting. If you have anything you would like placed or to see in ➣ Games / Puzzle page the newsletter please email Vanessa at [email protected] or Kerrie at www.RMA.formsexpress.com.au [email protected] Vanessa Faulkner Newsletter Co ordinator Revenue Management Association. M R S Municipal Revenue Services PERMANENT & TEMPORARY STAFF SOLUTIONS www.ozemail.com.au/~mrs www.RMA.formsexpress.com.au RECIPES OF THE MONTH PRESIDENTS REPORT Cranberry Meatballs from Margaret Marczuk (serves 4) Ingredients 500g lean minced beef 2/3 cup stale breadcrumbs 1 egg, lightly beaten1 small onion, finely chopped 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs Salt and pepper to taste 1 x 275g can whole-berry cranberry sauce When I accepted the nomination for the position of President of the entertaining presentations; and we are indebted to our sponsors for the 1 x 290ml bottle chilli sauce (mild or hot depending on your taste) Revenue Management Association two years ago, I had no idea of the day, Receivables Management Ltd.; M.A.V. Local Government On Line Cooked rice to serve significant changes that would occur in our industry, at both a State Services; Midstate Credit Management; Countrywide Mercantile Credit Sliced spring onion, fresh herbs and a halved lime to garnish and a Local Government level; and the changes that would occur, at a Services Pty. Ltd.; Coles-Myer; and Baycorp Advantage. Method personal level, for so many of our members. • Combine mince, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, herbs and salt and pepper in a large bowl; While on the subject of sponsorship, I am pleased to announce that the mix well. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls. I have been privileged to serve as President of the Association, and I Executive Committee has determined to continue with the concept of regret that my change of employment will prevent me from continuing having a dinner to acknowledge the invaluable support of our sponsors • Combine sauces in a large pan, bring to a slow boil. Add meatballs; simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes, in the role, because of a conflict with the Association’s Articles of over the past 15 months; and this will be held on Wednesday, 16th. or until sauce thickens and meatballs are cooked through. Association. Having said that, I have been proud to represent the July 2003, for representatives from those sponsors. Association, together with many of the members, on various working • Serve over rice; garnish with sliced spring onions, fresh herbs and a halved lime.I used Maggi Regular Chilli Sauce for this recipe and "Ocean Spray" Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce. parties, discussion groups and review panels established by Our Annual General Meeting on the 15th. August 2003, is the Government Departments and the M.A.V. I have no doubt that the opportunity for members to nominate for election to the Executive Association has made very significant and positive contributions to the Committee, and to become directly involved in the further deliberations of the various bodies. development of the Association, and the formulation of new training, education and promotional activities. I have also been proud to be able to represent the Association at the 2002 Annual General Meeting of the N.S.W. Rating Professionals, in There are a number of initiatives that the current Executive Committee Albury; and the 2003 Annual General Meeting in Newcastle; and to has held over for determination, after the Annual General Meeting, present a paper to the 2003 A.G.M., on the role of Revenue Managers, including the possibility of a one and a half day, or a two day, Country and revenue services in general, in Victoria; prior to amalgamations and Meeting in March, incorporating sporting events, workshops, and an post amalgamations. The participation in those Meetings has quite evening dinner with either a guest speaker or entertainment. significantly increased the awareness of our interstate colleagues of the role of the Association, and its members, in Victoria. The agenda for the 15th. August 2003 Annual General Meeting is quite diverse, and the presentations will contain some real food for The Association has achieved, and continues to have, wide recognition thought. Support your Association and our sponsors, by making a at both State and Local Government levels, as the truly representative and professional body for Revenue Managers in Victoria; and this has special effort to attend the A.G.M.; and please give serious thought to been complemented by the ongoing involvement and participation of nominating for the Executive Committee. private sector organizations and businesses involved with the provision and support of revenue services, through increased Corporate In closing, I would like to place on record my sincere appreciation for membership, and sponsorship. the assistance given to me, as President of the Revenue Management Association, over the past two years, by all of the Executive Committee The Association’s Meeting held on Friday, 14th. March 2003, at members; the individual members of the Association; and by all of the Shepparton, was preceded the evening before by a most enjoyable sponsors of the Association. I have immensely enjoyed the challenges social gathering and bbq in the Lake Victoria gardens. We are indebted and the opportunity to represent the Association. to Wendy Clark from Shepparton, and the members of the Executive Committee, for the arrangements they made for the function. I look forward to welcoming you to our Annual General Meeting. The Meeting on the Friday was an outstanding success, and a Haydn Williams. F.R.M.A. testament to the support of the members who attended and President. participated. We were treated to some interesting, innovative and THE GOOD OLE DAYS RATES & CHARGES IMPACT Sometime ago Vanessa asked me to write an article for the newsletter. I agreed but didn’t know how hard it was STATEMENT to come up with something to write about. While contemplating different subjects and issues to put my journalistic talents to I realised that it is 30 years since I started in Local Government. My how time flies when you are having fun and what about the changes in those 30 years. Back then I was driving an FB President Holden and going to the Whitehorse Hotel every Thursday night to see Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. In February 2003 a draft Issues and Options paper was released to all Victorian Councils on a “Rates and Charges Impact Statement”. Councils were requested to provide submissions in regards to the content I started at the City of Nunawading in 1973. We had the “slip system” for managing our rates. LASB printed our and intent of the document. The Statement had been developed by a Steering Committee including notices, a different colour for each ward. We kept a slip of each notice in a drawer in assessment number order. representatives of LGPro, MAV, VLGA and the Department of Treasury and Finance. They remained there until the rates were paid and the slip was then transferred to the paid drawer. All the The broad intention of the document is to make Councils more accountable and transparent in information for rate certificates was found in the valuation books and on the slips. Obviously the slips were most important and there was hell to play if they went missing. Our receipting was done on an NCR cash register that developing Rating Strategies. One suggestion in the document is that Councils be required to circulate to was about as big as my car, but at least we had a cash register, some Councils were still hand writing receipts. Our all ratepayers, details of the current Rating Strategy being adopted by Council to levy the current annual change of ownerships were completed in the valuation books as well as on paper tape which was then taken into rates and charges, prior to adoption of the Budget. This would be expensive, would lead to an increase LASB to update the database for rate notices. in public submissions and delay adoption of the Budget and delay the issuing of Rate Notices .The RMA At year end unpaid rates were listed on an accounting machine that was even bigger than the cash register.