BUNBURY is on the cusp of adopting a new rating system that will mean a hefty increase to many ratepayers.
A packed public gallery watched on as council voted in favour of adopting the single-rate system, based on property value, into this year's draft budget on Tuesday night.
The change will mean an increase of more than 50 per cent for many ratepayers and a nine per cent increase in revenue for the City.
The result came despite impassioned pleas from senior members of Bunbury's business community, including millionaire developer Geoff Prosser, to scrap the plan.
Mr Prosser was joined in the gallery by a number of business owners present on a 300 signature petition lodged to the City on Monday morning.
"They basically are the forgotten people of this council."
- Bunbury developer Geoff Prosser
He said businesses in Bunbury were already doing it tough and an average increase of 25.3 per cent for industrial areas and commercial and mixed business by 19.4 per cent was "unjustifiable and unfair."
"Mr Mayor those areas don't enjoy the benefits that the CBD gets - they don't have Christmas lighting and decorations, they don't have carparking provided in the industrial area," Mr Prosser said.
"They basically are the forgotten people of this council."
Deputy mayor Brendan Kelly moved the motion to adopt the new rating system into the draft budget.
"Firstly just for everybody's information there is nobody, nobody in Bunbury that is a forgotten person from my perspective," Mr Kelly said.
About 600 of more than 16,000 rateable Bunbury properties across mixed business, industrial and residential will receive a rates increase exceeding 20 per cent, according to council modelling.
"We have to make sure we have enough money in the kitty to run this city."
- City of Bunbury deputy mayor Brendan Kelly
Mayor Gary Brennan spoke against the motion and called on council to vote it down.
He called for an an alternative that would grant a concession to cap the initial maximum increase to 15 per cent.
"I am very much aware... of the genuine hardship that many businesses will endure with a substantial increase in rating," Mr Brennan said.
Mr Kelly closed by saying the new system was for the benefit of the entire community.
"We have to make sure we have enough money in the kitty to run this city," he said.
An electors meeting will be held in the City of Bunbury function room on August 12 from 5.30pm to discuss the basis of the rating proposal.