City status | Community questions

Public communication (community consultation) costs

Council has allocated $15,000 to allow for staff to investigate a potential change in designation for the shire to become a city. This includes information gathering and community consultation. This process is still underway, therefore some costs are known and some costs are still estimates.

• Mail out to ratepayers (sorting, printing, packing and coordination): (Actual) $4493.72
• Postage cost: To be advised
• Design and printing of general communication materials, website updates, drop in session logistics, and development of information items for display: These tasks are carried out internally by Shire Officers as part of business as usual, at no additional cost
• Associated administrative costs: These tasks are carried out by Shire Officers as part of their regular roles, at no additional cost.

Drop in session costs

*Catering includes tea, coffee, sugar, milk and refreshments per session 

Branding costs 

There are two options for updated branding that could be considered.

1. In-house: We maintain our existing logo graphic element. Our marketing team update only the name, using the current brand guidelines. Cost - nil, considered part of their everyday role
2. We source a brand refresh through an external provider, including development of a new concept, logo design, and style guide. (Estimated) $18,000.

 Signage Costs

These costs are estimates. Actual costs would be dependent on price rates at the time of updating the signs.

• Replacement of six name signs at the Harvey and Australind administration centres: around $6,500.
• Replacement of seven Local Government Area boundary signs:

1. $1,400 manufacture and installation per sign
2. $13,000 for associated traffic management across all sites.

This would work out to around $22,800.

All other rebranding and replacement

To minimise costs, updates to uniforms, stationery and signage would be made gradually, only when these items are due for replacement as part of normal business operations. This approach ensures there are no additional costs.

Administrative costs

Shire staff would continue in their existing roles unchanged if the Shire were to become a City. There would be no cost impact on the administration of the Shire.

It is anticipated that the total cost, including consultation, signage, and branding will not exceed $56,000.

There will be no cost associated with policy updates. The Shire already has an obligation to regularly review its local laws and policies, and this will not change.

There will be no ongoing or annual costs to the Shire. There will be no increase in councillor pay or superannuation resulting from reclassification to City status. Nor will there be any new staff roles created because of the reclassification to City status if it occurs. The number of staff employed by the Shire is dependant on the level of services that are provided to residents. As the Shire’s population grows, the amount of people who use the Shire’s services also grows, creating demand for additional staff. This is totally independent on whether the Shire remains a Shire or becomes a City.

City status does not alter the amount that Councillors, the CEO or other shire staff are paid.

The maximum amount that Councillors and the CEO can be paid are determined by the “Band” within which a local government sits. The Shire of Harvey is currently a “Band 2” Local Government.

Staff salaries are determined by the CEO or through the Shire’s Enterprise Agreement with staff and are based on:

• The complexity of the role
• The qualifications and experience of the person. 

The band within which a Local Government sits are determined by the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal and is dependent on:

• Population size
• Complexity of the local government area

Most local governments that are designated as Cities are classified as Band 1.

However, several are classified as Band 2. Band 2 Cities include:

• City of Nedlands – population 25,104
• City of South Perth – population 47,909
• City of Subiaco – population 19,452
• City of Vincent – population 41,479

Yes. Any potential City status is totally unrelated to rates.

Local Government Councils set rates as a part of their annual budget cycle.  Rates are raised to fund expected increases in expenditure within this framework.

It is noted that due to the rapid expansion of the Shire’s population, service level expectations have been steadily increasing and are being funded via grant funding and income raised through fees and Shire rates. Each year Council and the Shire administration have the task of deciding how much of these service expectations can be met while keeping rate increases to a minimum. These decisions are guided by the Shire of Harvey’s Council Plan and Long-Term Financial Plan. This will not change if the Shire changes its status to a City. 

Shire of Harvey - Our plan for the future 

Shire of Harvey Long Term Financial Plan 

How local governments are funded

Local governments have three sources of funding:

1. Rates levied on properties. These are used to maintain services to the community.
2. Grant funding sourced from State and Commonwealth Governments. These are used primarily for road upgrades and to subsidise other services provided by the local government to its community. Local governments may also obtain additional grant funding from governments or other funding bodies such as LotteryWest.  These are usually for specific purposes such as capital works projects.
3. Fees and charges levied for services. This includes things like membership fees to recreation centres.

The amount of grant funding that a local government receives is dependent on:

• The ability of the local government to raise funds itself
• The amount of funds it requires to maintain services to its community.

Information on how much a local government receives in State and Commonwealth Government assistance grants can be found on the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety website.

Financial Assistance Grants | LGIRS

Reasons for rates increases

Rate increases are normally related to increases in the cost of fuel, electricity, wages and other costs incurred by the local government during the year.

Rate increases may also be necessary to raise the funds to undertake capital works projects to improve services to the community. Grant funding bodies often provide only a percentage of the cost of these works.

No.

We would still be classified as a regional local government that is located outside of the metropolitan area.

For example, people living in the City of Busselton and the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder are considered to live in regional areas.

A major beneficiary of the former "Royalties for Regions" program were businesses located in the City of Karratha.

There are no programs, grants or economic initiatives planned to be introduced because of any reclassification.

While increased status and influence may provide additional funding opportunities, any programs funded by the Shire would necessarily involve increases to Shire rates to fund these programs.

Any programs conducted by local governments are subject to review by Council.

The Shire acknowledges the importance of considering the broader impacts of any potential renaming or branding change, particularly in relation to local businesses, tourism operators, and the wider community. 

It is important to clarify that the Harvey Region tourism and investment brand is separate from the Shire of Harvey’s organisational branding. The Harvey Region tourism and investment brand will remain unchanged. This means the destination identity used to promote tourism, investment, and regional recognition at local, state, national and international levels will continue as it currently operates. 

The matter under consideration relates only to the corporate name and branding of the local government organisation, not the regional tourism brand. 

As the Harvey Region tourism and investment brand will remain in place, there would be no requirement for tourism operators or businesses to alter their branding because of changes to the Shire’s organisational name

Local government band classifications in Western Australia are determined by the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal (SAT) based on objective criteria such as population, operating revenue and organisational complexity. A local government cannot independently elect to “become” a higher band; classification is determined by the Tribunal. 

Any future change in banding would be assessed by the Tribunal based on growth metrics and statutory criteria. 

Whether the Shire applies for a change in band classification or not may be a decision that will have to be made by Council at some point in the future. However, this has not been considered by Council and is not related to a potential change in classification to City status.

Reclassification to City status will not shift the Shire of Harvey into Band 1, nor will it alter salaries. 

Renumeration for Local Government Chief Executive Officers and Elected Council Members is determined by the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal. This is independent from whether a local government is designated a city or a shire.

The Salaries and Allowances Tribunal (SAT) in WA issues an annual determination that sets the minimum and maximum total remuneration ranges for CEOs and elected members based on band classifications. More information can be found at the link below.

🔗 2025 Determination — Local Government CEO & Elected Members 
 Full Determination (includes Salary Band Tables)

A change in status from “Shire” to “City” is governed by the Local Government Act 1995 (WA) and requires: 

• A formal proposal 
• Community consultation 
• Assessment against statutory criteria 
• Consideration by the Local Government Advisory Board 
• Final determination by the Minister 

Legal costs would depend on the complexity of the proposal but may include: 

• Preparation of formal submissions and statutory documentation 
• Legal review of governance and compliance obligations 
• Amendments to policies and governance instruments 
• Advice relating to statutory and regulatory requirements 

At this stage, no transition process is underway, and therefore no legal cost estimates have been developed. 

There are no increased costs associated with a change in classification to city status.

The Shire is facing increased costs associated with its rapidly growing population and the additional demand for services that this entails. 

Independent of any potential change in classification, the Shire faces a growing burden of providing services to a rapidly growing population and of maintaining a large amount of community infrastructure, much of which is aging.

Reclassification to City status would enhance Councils ability to lobby for additional funding to provide these services and maintain the infrastructure, while also advocating for improved State Government services.

If the reclassification goes ahead, the one off costs will be incorporated into the relevant budget line for the financial year that the costs would be incurred.
Normal business means there is no requirement for any change to the Shire's operations and therefore will be no ongoing costs.

No.

Reclassification to a city will not result in a requirement to rewrite policies, regulations or legal documents.

Disadvantages of moving to city status may include:

• A potential loss of rural identity. Some people may feel a strong connection to the Shire of Harvey  and it's longstanding "country town" feel.
• Minor cost impact - please see previous questions for a breakdown of the costs.

There are no guaranteed benefits.

However, a change in reclassification will provide additional opportunities to obtain more benefits.

City status could help us to embrace, as a wider community, our identity as a fast-growing, diverse and vibrant place. 

However the main benefit of city status is increased standing and influence in the local government hierarchy at state and federal levels. This will give Council a greater ability to:

• Lobby for improved services and funding for residents
• Lobby for increased funding to enhance and improve existing community facilities and services

It is important to note:

• Ratepayers are likely to see very little change in the first two years as funding cycles are commonly over longer periods.
• It is difficult to identify specific benefits that can be attributed entirely to a change in classification from Shire to City status. Other factors may also be influential alongside city status in creating outcomes for the community.  
• While higher status and increased influence may increase the ability of Council to lobby the government for funding, the support of business and the general community are also important for the success of Council’s proposed programs.

Change in classification will result in very little or no change in the Shire administration. 

• It will not result in rate increases
• It will not result in additional pay for Councillors or staff
• It will not increase administration costs
• It will not require any restructure of the organisation
• It will not result in the creation of any additional staff positions to support the City status  

The most visual and important changes will be:

• The name change from "Shire" to "City"
• The title change for the head of Council from Shire President to Mayor. The duties of this position will stay the same. 

Council may elect to conduct a future review to identify the impacts of a reclassification. This would be a decision of the elected Council who were in office at the time. 

Such a review is most likely to identify if there are additional benefits available that might be obtained for residents. 

It is unlikely to be a review of the reclassification itself. Once a change in classification is made, it is unlikely to be reversed by the Minister for Local Government. Any revision would require further consultation with the community and if the change were made, additional cost to ratepayers.

Staff did not present that the Shire did not have a seat at the table.

The statement was that the City of Busselton's former CEO had stated that one of the benefits that the City of Busselton had gained through city status was "a seat at the table". They had found that senior bureaucrats and Ministers had been much more willing to meet with them, and their ability to lobby on behalf of their residents had substantially improved after they were classified as a City.

He also noted that this was particularly evident when they visited Canberra to lobby the Commonwealth Government.

There will be no change to governance or council operations, nor will this lead to any increases in council or staff responsibilities or costs.

No governance or staffing changes are legally required.

Ward boundaries and councillor numbers

The Shire of Harvey does not currently have any wards, and none would be proposed if reclassification to City status occurred.

Under reforms to the Local Government Act 1995, local governments with a population between 5000 and 75,000 members will have between 5 and 9 members. Our population is 31,495. City status will not impact our Councillor numbers.

Rural representation and demographics

Rural representation will not be affected by a change in classification.

We recognise that most of our geographical areas are rural communities, existing alongside urban communities. Whether our identity as a wider community is urban, rural, or both – shire or city – is an important question, and one for the community to decide as we grow and evolve together.

It is important to note that the urban population of the Shire continues to grow more strongly than the population in more rural areas, largely through expansion of Treendale and Australind. This means the proportion of urban to rural people will continue to change over time. Demographic change has and will continue to occur independently of any potential change in classification to City status. As the Shire’s population growth is occurring mostly in the urban population centres, the balance of voters is also shifting to these areas.

This will occur independent of any potential change in classification. Voting for Councillors is done on the basis that each vote has equal status on a “one vote, one value” basis. As the population of the Shire becomes more urban, the urban areas will have more voters, hence more representation. It is important that eligible people vote in local government elections to ensure that their voice is heard.  

Population and demographic information for the Shire of Harvey can be found by clicking on the link below: 

 Home | Shire of Harvey | Community profile

No. Change in classification does not alter the Councillor election process.

As Council elections are held every two years, voters will have an opportunity to vote for their preferred candidates during the election process.

Project timeline

The consultation timeline goes from February to May 2026:

• Community consultation: 5 February 2026 - 13 March 2026
• Development of community consultation report: March-April 2026
• Report presented to Council: May 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting

Once community consultation has been completed, Council will receive a report at the May 2026 Ordinary Meeting of Council and will decide whether to proceed, or not to proceed, with an application for a change in classification.

If Council resolves to proceed with an application, the timeline for assessing that application and giving a response will be determined by the Minister for Local Government.

If a name change is proposed, the Local Government Advisory Board will additionally determine how long it needs to report to the Minister.

The City of Kalamunda process took approximately two years from commencement of the process until reclassification was finalised.

Statutory requirements and state government approvals

If a decision was made to become a city, the process would depend on which of the following options was preferred:

1. Keep the current name (e.g., City of Harvey)
2. Change the name to something else (e.g., City of …)

Keep the current name

If the proposal is for the Shire of Harvey to become the City of Harvey, an application is made directly to the Minister for Local Government. The Shire’s proposal must include current population data from the Government Statistician appointed under the Statistics Act 1907 (ss.2.4(6) Local Government Act 1995).

However, based on a previous application for City status made by the City of Kalamunda, the Minister may request the following additional information to inform their decision, including:

• Evidence of community consultation on the proposed change
• Evidence of community consultation on the cost of implementing the proposed change

If the proposal is successful, the Minister for Local Government will recommend that the shire changes its designation to city. This change is then made by the Governor’s Order (ss.2.4(2)).

Change the name to something else

The process to change the name of a local government is set out in Sections 2.1. and 2.2., and Schedules 2.1 and 2.2 of the Local Government Act 1995.

A name change is independent of the proposal to change designation from a Shire to a City. The process to change the name to anything other than the City of Harvey is as follows:

The proposed name must be submitted to the Local Government Advisory Board.

The Local Government Advisory Board will assess the application for a new name. They will consider things like:

• Community interests
• Physical and topographic features
• Demographic trends
• Economic factors
• History of the area
• Transport and communication
• The viability of local government
• The effective delivery of government services
• Other relevant matters

After making enquiries, the Local Government Advisory Board will provide a report to the Minister for Local Government with a recommendation. This may be one of the following:

• Accept the proposal
• Reject the proposal
• A different recommendation

If the Local Government Advisory Board recommends that the name change be approved, the Minister for Local Government can make a recommendation to the Governor of Western Australia on the proposed name change.

Note: The Local Government Advisory Board will also require that the Local Government has consulted with its local community regarding the proposed name change.

Public consultation will take place through community drop-in sessions and a community survey, as advertised here. Flyers have additionally been placed on community noticeboards around the whole shire, and the engagement advertised across social media, newspaper, radio, and email newsletter.

Surveys

All residents and ratepayers of the Shire are encouraged to participate by filling out the online or paper survey. Surveys will be accessible from 16 February-13 March at Shire offices, libraries and CRCs in Australind, Harvey, Brunswick, Yarloop and Binningup, at the drop-in sessions, and online via a link to be placed on this page.

Community drop-in sessions

Community drop-in sessions are scheduled across the Shire, over two weeks in February. The drop-in sessions are an opportunity to speak direct to councillors and senior staff about city status, ask questions and share your views in person. Having face to face conversations with your elected representatives is a valuable way to keep them informed about the views of the community, as well as to ask questions and seek clarification.

To ensure your submission is recorded, we encourage everyone to put your views in writing by completing a survey.

All formal submissions that are made will:

• Be reported to Council
• Form an attachment with a summary of submissions to the Council report.

The report and attachments will be made publicly available through the publishing of the Council agenda, as will the results of the community survey.

Council will consider the views of the community while making their decision on whether to proceed with the proposed reclassification or not. Each Councillor will have to make their own decision as to how they vote. 

This information will also be forwarded to the Minister for Local Government if Council elects to proceed with an application.

All formal submissions that are made will:

• Be reported to Council
• Form an attachment with a summary of submissions to the Council report.

The report and attachments will be made publicly available through the publishing of the Council agenda, as will the results of the community survey.

This information will also be forwarded to the Minister for Local Government if Council elects to proceed with an application.

The most effective way to ensure your feedback is heard and received is to fill out a community survey. The survey will be live from 16 February to 13 March, and available online. Paper copies will be additionally available at your local library, CRC, or Shire Office.

Recording a question or concern

For any question, concern or view to be logged, it must be written. There will be three ways for this to happen at the community drop-in sessions:

• Filling out a survey online
• Completing a paper survey 
• Ask a Shire officer for help 

Please note that we appreciate there will be many individual conversations happening. The content of these conversations is considered private until such time as the people involved choose to log their feedback via one of the methods above.

Addressing question and concerns

The Shire undertakes to provide accurate, clear and accessible responses to the submissions made at the drop-in sessions. All questions and answers will be included in the consultation report to Council, which will be publicly available on our website when the item goes to the May 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting. 

Feedback to the broader community

This page (Community Questions) has been created as a central forum to share responses to questions coming in from the community. This page will be updated to include responses to relevant questions not already covered here.

The survey contains an option to specify if you strongly agree, agree, are neutral, disagree or strongly disagree with reclassifying to city status. These choices will clearly indicate if people oppose, support or are neutral about the change. 

The total population of the Shire of Harvey currently exceeds 31,000 persons. As it is unlikely that all of these people will make submissions, Council will need to determine if submissions received are reflective of the views of the whole community. 

If Council elected not to proceed, we would remain a Shire rather than applying for reclassification to city. 

Names are required to ensure that people submitting the surveys are residents or ratepayers of the Shire of Harvey 

The survey was made available online and with paper copies available at Shire locations, to allow people time to consider the information before filling out the survey. 

Council passed a motion in November 2025 that included the following directive:

Requests the Chief Executive Officer undertakes public consultation to seek community views on the proposed change of status from Shire to City and gauge community views on naming of the City if the Shire of Harvey acquired City status. 

The reason the survey asks about city status as well as a name is to give the community an opportunity to have their say on both matters. 

When considering the results, the responses to the questions will be considered separately. The consultation report will outline:

• How people responded, in total numbers per response choice, to the question Should the Shire of Harvey seek reclassification from shire status to city status? 
• How people responded, in total numbers per response choice, to the question If the Shire of Harvey gained city status, would you be in favour of a name change?
• The range of responses to If yes, what name would you suggest?, including how many times particular names are suggested.
   

There is no link between land use planning, rezoning or any other form of land development and a potential change to City status.

Land planning and development in Western Australia is now largely controlled by the State Government - the Minister for Planning and Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) under the Planning and Development Act 2005.

Ongoing reforms to the planning system have removed much of the ability of local governments to make land use planning decisions for their local communities.  Council will continue to advocate for protection of productive agricultural land and for farming activities to be protected from incompatible uses. City status will neither increase nor diminish Council’s ability in this respect. 

The Shire’s Local Planning Strategy (approved by the WAPC) and Local Planning Scheme (approved by the Minister for Planning) provide mechanisms to protect agricultural land. 

Each year, Council and the Shire Administration prepare an annual budget, guided by the Shire’s Community Plan and Annual Financial Plan. Council is responsible for ensuring that the needs of all its communities are considered in its financial decision making. Careful consideration is given to funding of services to ensure that all Shire residents receive an adequate level of service. 

The Shire publishes transparent reporting on its capital and operational spending in its annual budget and reports on expenditure in monthly financial reports. The Shire’s annual report provides a summary of key projects and a copy of the Shire’s audited financial report.  

Annual Reports are presented an Electors Meeting each year which open to all Shire residents and ratepayers. The latest Annual Report was presented to the Annual Electors Meeting on the 27 January 2026.   

Copies of all Council meeting agendas and minutes are publicly available and can be found on the Shire website at: 

Shire of Harvey - Agendas, Minutes and Meeting Dates 

Strong population growth in the Shire’s urban population centres is expected to continue independent of any potential change to City status. As Council allocates funding according to its long-term financial plan and on a “needs” basis for urgent works, priorities for works must reflect the areas of greatest need. In some years, this may be in rural areas of the Shire, in others it may be in urban areas. 

The location of new large urban developments in the Shire is controlled by the State Government via the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) and Minister for Planning, and is largely driven by developers seeking new lands for urban development.

Areas are approved for development via the Greater Bunbury Region Scheme (GBRS) which is prepared by the Department of Planning, Heritage and Lands (DPLH) on behalf of the WAPC and then forwarded to the Minister for Planning for approval.  

The Shire of Harvey’s Local Planning Scheme (LPS) is then updated by the DPLH to reflect the changes to the GBRS.

If any minor changes or reviews of the Local Planning Scheme are initiated, Council must receive approval from the WAPC before advertising. These are returned to the WAPC for a decision after Council has resolved to support the amendment or not, and receive final approval from the Minister for Planning.

The Shire of Harvey has diverse communities and landscapes, all with very different needs and experiences – and most of our geographical areas are rural communities, existing alongside urban communities.

However, as the population of the Bunbury urban area has continued to grow, it has expanded outside of the City of Bunbury, with most of the population growth occurring in the Shires of Capel, Dardanup and Harvey.

This has caused rapid growth of the Shire of Harvey’s urban population, which continues to grow more strongly than the population of the rural areas. As a result, more than 60% of the Shire’s population now resides in the Leschenault urban area.

Whether our identity as a wider community is urban, rural, or both – shire or city – is an important question, and one for the community to decide as we grow and evolve together. How do we see ourselves now? How will see ourselves in 20 years?

The term “rural identity” is a subjective term that will hold different meanings for different people.  

The Lifestyle Sustainability Dictionary defines “rural identity” as: 

“the sense of self deeply connected to the unique culture, community, and environment of non-urban areas”.  

Academic resources include Trujello (2024) who noted that some residents who live in urban areas may also feel that being rural is part of their identity. Trujello suggests this is a personal affiliation, as much as one based on location. 

Feeling Out of Place: Who Are the Non-Rural Rural Identifiers, and Are They Unique Politically? | Political Behavior | Springer Nature Link 

It is therefore important to note that many residents of the Shire’s towns and urban population centres may also feel that they live in a rural locality. 

Council’s role includes ensuring that all residents of the Shire receive the necessary level of service. However, Council’s resources are not unlimited, and it is necessary for Council to determine where the Shire’s limited resources can provide the most benefit.  

Each year, Council and the Shire Administration prepare an annual budget, guided by the Shire’s Community Plan and Annual Financial Plan. Council is responsible for ensuring that the needs of all its communities are considered in its financial decision making.

Careful consideration is given to funding of services to ensure that all Shire residents receive an adequate level of service. 
 

No.

Population growth is dependent on the number of new people moving to the Shire, minus the number of people who move out of the Shire.

As noted above, the Shire of Harvey is experiencing rapid growth in its population. This is expected to continue in the next decade (and potentially beyond) as new housing is constructed in planned development areas such as Treendale South, East Treendale, Binningup and other parts of the shire.

This growth will occur whether the Shire of Harvey becomes a city or remains a Shire.

Council is progressing plans towards rebuilding Council Chambers and creating more staff offices in Australind.

While the intention is for some Council meetings to held in Austalind, Council also intends to continue to maintain offices and conduct some of its meetings in Harvey. This will occur independently of whether the Shire is reclassified as a City or not. 

The provision and funding of core emergency and health services — including hospitals, police services, DFES career firefighters and St John Ambulance paramedics — are the responsibility of the State Government, not local government. A change in status from “Shire” to “City” does not automatically determine the delivery levels or staffing arrangements of these services.

That said, the Shire of Harvey recognises that access to essential services is critically important to our growing community. We continue to advocate strongly to the State Government for the infrastructure and services required to meet current and future demand, including health, emergency response and community safety services.

Changing our status from Shire to City does not require a name change.

However, it is an opportunity to consider a name change - and there is a question in the survey seeking community feedback on names for consideration.

Any new name would need to reflect the identity and character of our area, recognising that we have a diverse community and landscape - rural and urban, ocean to hills, north to south. 

The Shire of Harvey is seeking feedback via the community survey on whether there should be a name change, should the city status go ahead. In the survey, you will have the opportunity to:

• Indicate whether you think there should be a name change
• Suggest a name for consideration.

It is important to note:

There is no decision yet as to whether Council will pursue City status, as this will be decided after the community has had their say. Therefore, there has not been a decision made on a proposed name.

Changing the name will only change the name of the Local Government Area, from the Shire of Harvey to City of (new name).

All towns, localities and suburbs would retain their current names. Australind and Treendale would still be suburbs.

City status would improve the ability of Council to lobby for improved services and funding for residents of the Shire.

This would include funding to enhance and improve existing community facilities and services. 

This matter was considered by Council after the election as a result of a notice of motion. The notice of motion was to consult with the community regarding potential reclassification.

The survey is requesting that the community consider a name. However, the final decison will be made by  the Minister for Local Government on a recommendation by Council.

Waste management is unrelated to city status.

The motion to investigate reclassification to City status is being pursued because it was supported by Council.