The council held an open forum to outline key elements of the upcoming budget on March 19, with chief executive officer Robert Jennings telling the small public gallery that it was time for the council’s leadership team to “start the journey to sustainability”.

The future of the 916 street lights located on council-owned streets has cast a shadow over the budget and Mr Jennings said, while an outcome had not been agreed upon, an “indicative” figure for the infrastructure had been included in the draft.

“We hope to get some answers on the street lights before the budget’s set, so we’ll update those as we go,” he explained.

“We’ve put indicative numbers in that we think are likely.

“That could change very quickly, but that’s what we’ve put in at the moment.”

Power and Water Corporation owns the street lights in Katherine but the energy giant is pushing for a controversial Northern Territory-wide handover of the infrastructure to local governments.

Mayor Fay Miller said the council would feel the sting if it was required to take ownership of the street lights.

“It’s going to be a huge impost on us to take on that infrastructure,” she said.

The remuneration of the council’s seven elected members has also been debated during budget workshops, with the decision whether or not to increase annual allowances proving a divisive topic.

Currently, aldermen receive more than 35 per cent less than they are entitled to under legislation, while the mayor receives about 12 per cent less.

While no decision has been made, Alderman Miller hinted at an increase in line with the consumer price index.

“There’s been quite a discussion about it, as you can image,” she said.

“Each elected member has certainly  put forward their own opinion.”