AN organiser of the citizens’ trip to Yamagata believes the amount of money council dedicates to its sister city relationship with the Japanese city is worth it.
Last week, council approved to fund Mayor Michael Adamson’s trip to Yamagata in July to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the sister cities’ relationship.
The $3500 required for the mayoral trip would be funded by the extra $10,000 council allocated for its biannual exchange program with Yamagata in this year’s financial budget. Spending on the program was boosted to $30,000 from the usual $20,000 to account for the anniversary celebrations.
The mayor’s trip recieved almost total support, with the exception of Cr Gary Norton who expressed concern that the relationship was becoming a “one-way” street.
However, Swan Hill Yamagata Club’s Ross Cox, one of the organisers of the citizens’ trip coinciding with the mayor’s visit, said spending on the exchange program was entirely justified.
“I’m a ratepayer and we’d all like to get value from our rates, but the little that council puts in — it’s not huge compared to the overall council expenditure — it has been good for a lot of young people in our community, as well as the older people as well,” Mr Cox said.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Monday’s Guardian (March 23).
