Blue Mountains residents are among the highest ratepayers in the state, paying an average $1,592 a year in 2017-18.
This puts the Blue Mountains behind Hunters Hill on $1,683 a year, and Wollondilly Shire Council on $1,620 per annum (average).
The figures are revealed on a new state government website, www.yourcouncil.nsw.gov.au, that compares councils across NSW on a range of measures.
The site shows that Blue Mountains council got 83.5 per cent of its revenue from rates, annual charges and user fees and charges ("own source revenue"), compared with 60 per cent for similar councils it is grouped with.
The council also received 16.5 per cent of its income from grants, compared with the group average of 40 per cent.
According to the website, the "own source revenue" ratio measures a council's financial flexibility.
"It indicates the degree of reliance on external funding sources such as grants and contributions received by councils. A council has improved financial flexibility with a higher level of own source revenue."
Yourcouncil.nsw.gov.au was launched last week by the Office of Local Government.
It provides a snapshot of all NSW councils, examining their finances, assets, services and community leadership.
For comparison purposes, councils were put in groups, determined initially by whether they were urban or rural, and then by population size and density.
Blue Mountains was grouped with Penrith, The Hills, Hornsby, Central Coast, Camden and Campbelltown.
Other figures revealed online show that in 2017-18, Blue Mountains spent:
- $464 per capita on administration (group average $223);
- $55 per capita on public order, safety and health (group average $40);
- $376 per head on the environment (including waste) (average $238); and
- $225 per head on recreation and culture (average $198).
Councillor costs were well below others in the group. The numbers were:
- Councillor expenses $37,000 (group average $94,700);
- Total mayor and councillor fees $260,000 ($343,800);
- Councillor conference expenses $18,000 ($27,000)
Employee costs for Blue Mountains comprised 43 per cent of council's expenditure in the 2017-18 year.
The general manager's remuneration was $979,566, which includes retirement benefits and payout of annual leave and long service leave. The group average was $488,684.
Painting a picture of the local government area, the website showed there is 6,556 hectares of public space in the Mountains (group average 2,140ha), 16 public halls (average 46), five pools (average three) and six libraries (average five).
Thirty-four per cent of the population of 78,968 are under 30 (group average 39 per cent), 39 per cent between 31 and 60 (average 40 per cent) and 27 per cent over 60, significantly more than the group average of 21 per cent.
Just six per cent speak a language other than English at home (20 per cent in the group average). Unemployment is 2.8 per cent (3.8 per cent) and the average taxable income $60,466 ($62,021).
