A LOCAL councillor has criticised the handling of Gawler Council’s 2020/21 budget.

Cr Ian Tooley alleged particular budget items, including $35,000 for the reconstruction of a community shelter, did not belong among other budget bids.

During last Tuesday night’s general meeting, Cr Tooley expressed several reservations with the budget process and voted against its adoption.

“I find that sort of thing dishonest,” he said during the meeting.

“We unanimously agreed to fund that (shelter) and we said we did not need a budget bid.

“We were so outraged that that shelter had been taken down without asking us and Cr (Paul) Little spoke passionately about how that shelter was used by the homeless…

“Then it somehow appears in the budget. Has this been inflated to $35,000 so people like Cr (Diane) Fraser start to say ‘woah, way too much’?

“I think the way that we handle our budget is very, very poor.”

Gawler Council CEO Henry Inat said the shelter – to be rebuilt on Reid Street – was included as a budget bid as part of due process.

“Given the council motion was supported on July 7, 2020 to replace this shelter, in the context of the timing of the budget considerations, it was appropriate that it be included as a budget bid in the Annual Budget deliberations,” he said.

“The project was then supported by the council as part of the Annual Budget adopted at its meeting held on August 25.

“The placement of the project in the 20/21 Annual Budget process was an appropriate procedural matter, specifically to include the cost for this work in the Annual Budget which was in development at that time.”

Cr Tooley said council should have used discretionary funding for the construction – as agreed at July’s meeting.