Andrew Johnson
Postgraduate Student, School of Economics
Qualifications
BEc(Accounting), Flinders, MBA, UNE
Contact
| Email: | ajohnso7@une.edu.au |
| Fax: | 02 6773 3596 |
PhD Programme: PhD Local Government Economics
Commenced January 2003
Submitted for examination July 2007
Is currently employed as General Manager, Guyra Shire Council
Supervisor (s): Professor Brian Dollery
Topic title and description:
Beyond the three Rs: Unfunded Intergovernmental Mandates This thesis examines the economic dilemma confronting contemporary local government in Australia with particular reference to the increasing use of unfunded intergovernmental mandates as a policy tool of government. The thesis argues that municipalities face not only rising expectations from their constituencies for more and improved services, but also heightened demands from both state and Commonwealth governments to assume greater responsibilities for service delivery and infrastructure maintenance. At the same time, municipalities encounter severe restrictions on their revenue-raising capacity as well as confronting a number of self-inflicted problems. The inevitable result of escalating costs and constrained funding is a growing 'community expectations/funding gap' that threatens the very future of efficient and responsive government in Australia. One of the major challenges facing municipal authorities in recent years has been the increasing use of unfunded intergovernmental mandates as a preferred policy tool of state and federal governments. Unfunded mandates enable higher tiers of government to implement, and take credit for, policy decisions. They can do this without having to be concerned with increasing taxation or reducing services in order to fund the implementation of their policies. The cost of mandates, because they are not funded by the mandating body, generally receives far less scrutiny than other direct budget-funded items. Local government continues to claim that unfunded mandates are placing an increasingly heavy burden on local communities both in terms of the number of unfunded mandates passed and the sector’s lack of ability to absorb the costs of the mandate or raise sufficient additional income to pay for the cost of implementing the mandates. This paper contemplates the appropriateness, quantum and effect of unfunded mandates on local communities, by considering which level of government should make, implement, and fund policy decisions within the multi-level government system that exists under the Australian federal system of government.
Grant/Scholarship: Nil
Affiliations
Current Position:
General Manager
Guyra Shire Council www.guyra.nsw.gov.au