Politics
Bundoora Voters Face New Disclosure Rules on Infrastructure Levy Ballot
Bundoora residents voting on infrastructure levies will encounter mandatory project cost timelines and revenue sources on ballots, a format that differs from the shorter formats used in several peer cities.
How we reported this
Bundoora has adopted updated rules for ballot measures that require every referendum on local tax increases to list projected annual costs per household and completion dates for funded projects. The change applies to measures placed before voters after January 2027 and covers levies supporting roads, parks and emergency services. City clerks will verify the disclosures before printing ballots.
The policy update follows a 2025 review of past referendums in which several measures passed without clear breakdowns of ongoing maintenance expenses. Local records show that three tax measures approved between 2021 and 2024 generated combined annual costs of $4.8 million once fully implemented. Officials say the new format aims to give voters the same level of detail already required in neighboring jurisdictions that adopted similar rules in 2023.
Impacts on household costs and services
For Bundoora households, the disclosures will appear on ballots asking approval for new levies such as a proposed five-year road resurfacing program estimated at $312 per property each year. Residents who rely on city parks will see line items showing how much of a levy would fund lighting upgrades versus annual mowing contracts. The same format applies to public safety measures, where figures must separate one-time equipment purchases from recurring personnel costs.
City documents indicate that Bundoora currently requires 8,200 valid signatures to place a tax measure on the ballot, compared with 7,100 in the average of five comparable municipalities in the same county. Validation now includes an extra step of cross-checking property addresses against the most recent assessment roll, adding roughly two weeks to the petition review period.
Next steps for implementation
The city clerk’s office will release sample ballot language by October 2026 for public comment. Training sessions for petition circulators are scheduled to begin in November. The government projects that the added review steps will increase administrative costs by $47,000 in the first full year of operation, funded through the existing elections budget line.