Perth Voice Interactive

THE cash that Vincent council pulled from its seniors reserve to help plug a massive budget bungle has been replaced.

Last year it snaffled $745,000 to help cover a surprise $8 million deficit racked up under the previous administration.

It was a contentious decision, drawing fire from former councillor Dudley Maier as well as several candidates looking to unseat incumbent councillors at October’s election.

Now, with the budget looking healthier under new CEO Len Kosova, the cash has been returned.

The still community-active Mr Maier fronted public question time to remind councillors “you shouldn’t have taken [it] out” while expressing his doubt about the health of the budget, but wishing them a merry Christmas nonetheless.

Mayor John Carey described Mr Maier as “a lone voice that preaches doom and gloom”.

Meanwhile, another failing of the previous regime has been discovered that is likely to cause a paperwork nightmare.

The cash in the seniors fund comes from the council-run Leederville Gardens retirement village and, by law, it should have been kept in a tightly controlled Trust for the benefit of Leederville Gardens. But instead it had been sloshing around in a general “cash for anything to do with oldies” reserve.

Mr Kosova says it’s an obvious mistake: “It’s frustrating… anyone with any local government experience would know there’s distinct parts of the legislation that deal with the Trust and that deal with reserves.”

His staff now have to go back and see if any of the money was spent on general senior things, and research the legal ramifications.

by DAVID BELL