Should Glen Innes Council pay voluntary levy?

The Operational Plan, released as part of the council business paper on Friday, has budgeted to pay $74,769.08 for an Emergency Services Levy, which is imposed by the state government.

The business paper says that while funds are allocated, the bill won't be paid until a council resolution to do so. The Operational Plan and budget goes before council this Thursday.

The levy was hiked late last year in legislation passed by the NSW state government in order to pay firefighters' worker's compensation claims.

Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said it's up to councils whether they want to pay the levy hike or not.

"It may very well be that councils will pay the levy plus CPI, which was budgeted for as the standard way of doing things ... so some councils may just choose to say that's all they are going to pay."

Armidale council, among others, complained when they were hit with a $150,000 hike in the levy, after their draft budget had been released for public comment and consultation.

The levy increase was designed to pay for worker's compensation for firefighters with one of 12 work-related cancers. NSW's Legislative Council passed a motion earlier this month to urge state government to fund the first year of additional costs.

The state subsidy was not included in last week's state government budget.

It appears that Glen Innes councilors will have the choice whether to adopt the levy or not.

General Manager Mark Riley in an interview last week said it was frustrating but not unusual that state government added extra fees and charges to councils at the last minute.

"It may mean that vision of expending money on roads isn't quite achieved this year which would be a shame, and that's right across the state that's impacted," he said.

"Unless you start drawing money out of reserves - but you can't do that because this is going to be an ongoing fee. It just makes things more difficult.

"At the last minute it's probably frustrating, but we've seen it before and we'll see it again. We'll need to look hard to find those savings."

The budget is in the black, featuring a surplus of nearly $2m, $14.4m of capital expenditure including $1.9m on rural roads. It also funds a "a free Family Picnic Day will be held by 31 October 2019," $20,000 heritage restoration of CBD facades and construction of co-located offices at town hall.

The last is subject to grant application submissions for the refurbishment of the historic building.

Council also plants to "upgrade" the Grey street town square public wi-fi by the end of September.