In advance of the meeting, the council agenda had published a large number of responses, many of which were against the proposed 6pc rate rise.

In the meeting itself businesswoman Leanne Kum Sing was first to speak from the public gallery and she said she was a local ratepayer for 22 years who had given feedback and had only found the day before about the meeting.

CEO David Keenan said all those who had submitted feedback were invited but only two people responded.

Ms Kum Sing said she emailed council and had acknowledgement of the email but no further contact.

"I don't want to pay rates for works that don't benefit myself or anyone else in the community," Ms Kum Sing said.

"Everything is for tourism and minority groups. How about tabling essential services that we really need for people that have been paying rates all their lives."

She said she worked with a lot of elderly people who were upset "and feel they are not being listened to".

"I expect you to all work together better and stop wasting our money on things we don't need," she said.

Evidence they were not working well together came soon after in a debate over $100,000 for a bronze statue of a Kalkadoon Warrior, mentioned in Ms Kum Sing's speech.

Cr MacRae said it was the mayor's request to put this in the budget but Mayor Slade claimed it was vetoed.

Cr MacRae said was in the budget and added to the $300,000 the Mayor wanted for the miners' memorial.

The mayor responded she didn't request $300,000 for the miners' memorial but did request $100,000 for the statue and said it was originally vetoed by councillors.

"No it wasn't," Cr MacRae replied.

Ms Kum Sing interrupted them to say she had 10mm water meter but was being charged for a 20mm meter.

One of the council directors said they would speak to her after the meeting to discuss her issues.

Cr Coghlan said they typically only get a small number of people who attend consultation meetings like this.

"But what I do know is I have spoken to many people in the community and people have stopped me in the street so I'd say I've answered their questions and maybe that's why they are not coming along to the meeting," Cr Coghlan said.

Lucy Sanderson was next to speak with budget feedback and she had issues with Telstra Hill and the footpath from the TAFE leading to it.

"Telstra Hill is a total waste of money, maybe 200 people walk up there regularly so why do we need a car park when we've always managed without it," Ms Sanderson said.

"As for the footpath who's going to use that? We've got a footpath going out to the lake, nobody uses that."

Ms Sanderson said it would be better to fix up the roads in town and make the town cleaner.

"One upon a time, Mount Isa looked beautiful, it had encouragements to keep the yards nice, now it's like a dustbowl, it's dirty" she said.

Another long-term ratepayer Ms Gallagher agreed with Ms Kum Sing few people had seen notification of budget feedback and it was hard to find the budget draft document.

"I object to the proposed rate increase, pensioners have had a small rise but this has been eaten up with increase of cost of living," Ms Gallagher said.

Cr Phil Barwick said the budget attempted to strike a balance between trying to run the operation and improve the liveability of the city.

"There is an urban myth that rates are more expensive here than in the rest of the country, we've check that, they're not," Cr Barwick said.

"General rates are sitting midway between the other 77 councils in Queensland."

Cr Barwick said in some areas other authorities issued water notices whereas in Mount Isa council issues water and rates notices and after a zero increase in 2020 and a 3.75pc increase in 2021 this budget was a "correction".

Mayor Danielle Slade has flagged she is against the 6pc rate rise.

The budget will be handed down at a meeting on June 15.

ALSO IN THE NEWS:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: