Horsham (VIC) Council budget and finances

Budget & finances

Every Victorian council reports the same set of financial measures to the state each year, under the Local Government Performance Reporting Framework (LGPRF). The state doesn't set pass marks for these measures. So we show Horsham's figure for 2024–25 next to the median of all Victorian councils. The median is the middle value: half of councils are above it and half below. The median is a point of reference, not a target.

New to these terms? Read them in plain English

Operating result (surplus / deficit): Income minus expenses for the year's normal operations.
Average residential rate: The typical yearly general-rates bill for a home in the area.

See the full explainer, with formulas →

The numbers

Average rate per property (2024–25): $2,228General rates plus the municipal charge, divided by all property assessments (homes, farms and businesses). The Victorian median is $1,937.
Adjusted underlying result (2024–25): 0.56% surplusThe operating result without capital grants and contributions, as a share of that revenue. The Victorian median is also a 0.56% surplus. For 2026–27 the council budgets an underlying deficit of $10.668 million; its budget says the year is distorted because the state paid $7 million of 2026–27 operating grants before the end of 2025–26.
Loans and borrowings (2024–25): 12.7% of ratesThe Victorian median is 13.2%. The 2026–27 budget includes a new $1.139 million loan, repaid over 10 years, towards redeveloping the Wesley Performing Arts Centre.
2026–27 capital works: $24.1 million$13.967m of renewal, $5.944m of new projects, $2.858m of upgrades and $1.350m of expansion. Funded by $3.480m of grants, the $1.139m loan, $330,000 of contributions, $549,000 of asset sales and $18.622m from cash reserves (budget introduction).

Measure (2024–25)	Horsham	Victorian median
	0.56%	0.56%
Current assets ÷ current liabilities (short-term liquidity)	2.54×	2.17×
Unrestricted cash ÷ current liabilities (free cash)	0.73×	0.26×
Loans and borrowings ÷ rates	12.7%	13.2%
Loan repayments ÷ rates	0.50%	1.4%
Non-current liabilities ÷ own-source revenue	11.1%	16.7%
Asset renewal and upgrade ÷ depreciation	63.2%	94.9%
Rates ÷ adjusted underlying revenue (reliance on rates)	52.9%	57.8%
Rates ÷ property values	0.37%	0.28%
Expenses per property assessment	$4,966	$4,100
Average rate per property assessment	$2,228	$1,937

Horsham Rural City Council, LGPRF financial measures, 2024–25, next to the median of the 79 Victorian councils reporting each measure. Source: Local Government Victoria, LGPRF 2020–2025 Full Council Data Set (Nov 2025 release), CC BY 4.0. The median is CouncilBeacon's own calculation.

The LGPRF has no official benchmarks, and Local Government Victoria says its data shouldn't be used for simplistic league tables. So we don't mark any figure as a pass or a fail, and we don't rank councils. The Victorian median is CouncilBeacon's own calculation, taken across the Victorian councils that report each measure in the 2024–25 data set. A figure above or below the median isn't good or bad in itself. Councils differ in size, assets and services; Horsham is in the LGPRF's 'Regional City' group, and the council gives its road length as 2,983 km. The council's annual report explains its own results. The 2025–26 figures are due in about November 2026.

Sources — check it yourself

Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.