The annual budget is being developed to ensure that council is able to deliver services within its means. This is in many ways greatly similar to the many households throughout the Hilltops, where honest hard working Australians attempt to provide some economic certainty for their loved ones as they go about their daily business.

Council budgets are developed by staff and presented to council over the council meeting table, for many families in the Hilltops the kitchen table is used for the same purpose. The common denominator being a desire for both processes to hopefully deliver a small surplus. For many people a surplus is realised as savings or cash at the bank for use at a later time. Council is no different in this respect and has significant funds set aside for future new projects, asset renewals and projects which have been started and not yet completed.

A great example of funds which have been collected for specific future projects with a genuine need is the Young Town Stormwater Levy. This charge was introduced by the former Young Shire Council to generate a pool of funds which would finance a comprehensive flood study and desperately needed upgrades to the Young drainage network in order to reduce inundation risks during periods of exceptional and heavy rainfall. The Local Government Act and Local Government Regulation limit the lawful use of such funds, and in essence, require that they should be used for the purpose that they were collected and may not be used for normal maintenance works.