Geurie property owner Chris Owens told a NSW Public Inquiry on Thursday night the villages in the Wellington LGA might be forgotten if merged with neighbouring Dubbo.
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"My concern is how the villages will be looked after the merger deal is signed off. I think our concerns in Geurie will be overlooked," he said.
Mr Owens said he felt the community he lived in might come off badly in a merged entity.
"Reducing council representations to two will be bad," he told the NSW Boundaries Commission delegate Ian Tiley.
Another Geurie local, Tiger Paxton, said Dubbo should accept more responsibility for the towns which fed into its economy. He said the communities in the Wellington LGA were big suppliers to the saleyards and to Fletchers.
An independent auditor Elizabeth Walker Manson said she was a pro supporter of the merger.
But she said Dubbo wasn't using its human resources economically and the cost per employee was $100,000. Ms Walker Manson said compared to other council's of similar size Dubbo was expensive.
Her figures were subject to conjecture but she said people had it wrong assessing council performance.
"Forget all these negative nancies. Why shouldn't we merge? But based on figures, sack Dubbo and get Wellington to run a merged council. They are 20 per cent cheaper."
Local farming son Jacob Perry, who has been a vocal merger proponent, told the delegate it was time farmers got a better deal and it was time to get out of the Wellington LGA.
"I live in the Wellington LGA and work in Dubbo. In the Wellington LGA farmers are rewarded with no garbage, the roads are dying, the astronomical rates and we're more inclined to go with Dubbo. It's the vibe with Elong Elong too," he said.
"It would stabilise rates, so this merger with Dubbo is a sensible option," he added.
Wellington mayor again spoke before the delegate reiterating Wellington's position. She requested the merger be disbanded.
Dubbo mayor Mathew Dickerson told the crowd there were few common interests between the two council LGAs if push come to shove.
He said both communities had voted in numerous polls to stand-alone
"Eighty-three per cent of the community said no. The Wellington and Dubbo LGA are different. The whole proposal is flawed and why are they telling us to get together."
Cr Dickerson showed Powerpoint statistics which he said proved the communities were very different.
He warned rates will go up.
"I don't see any reduction for ratepayers. Putting Wellington and Dubbo together is a square peg being forced into a round hole."
Bryce Munro, a former Wellington LGA resident who has now moved to Toongi, said the state of roads in the Wellington were a sore point with him.
"There is no money out there to fix them. It will cost hundreds of millions for their upkeep and Dubbo would to have to pay for their upkeep. The state of Wellington's rural roads is appalling," he said.
