CASEY Council has adopted its latest budget, despite a last-ditch attempt to dump the $890,000 allocated for upgrading Casey Fields in favour of a 1 per cent rates cut.
The 2008-09 budget was formally adopted at last Tuesday's council meeting after a rancorous debate about the merits of Melbourne Football Club's proposed move to Casey Fields.
The budget, unchanged from its draft status, contains a 5.9per cent rates rise.
It also includes $750,000 for a pavilion extension and $140,000 for sealing the car park at Casey Fields.
Cr Rob Wilson unsuccessfully called for the $890,000 upgrading to be dropped - and the savings used to slash the rates hike to 4.9 per cent.
"Melbourne Football Club will be bankrupt very soon and we are the rescue package, or our ratepayers are,'' Cr Wilson said.
Cr Kevin Bradford said not one business case supporting the proposal had been put to council.
"There is a lot of animosity in the community regarding the amount that is being allocated to Casey Fields to seduce Melbourne to come.
"There's only one person pushing it and that is the CEO.''
Cr Bradford said the council was also planning to hand over a parcel of land to Melbourne, speculating that it would be used to build a social club with a restaurant and poker machines.
Email a friend