Merebank County, Goldmere

Merebank County, Goldmere

Merebank is a prosperous commuter county on the western shore of Gold Mere, linked to Auricford and the Capital by fast rail.

The county has 61 wards, 1.02 million households, a median age of 44 and high university participation. Civic Union holds 71 of 118 council seats, Federal Reform 26, Labour 14 and others 7. Federal first preferences were Civic 43%, Reform 26%, Labour 14%, Development 9% and others 8%.

The employed workforce is 1.43 million, including 590,000 daily commuters. Local unemployment is 2.9%. Goldmere Mutual employs 38,000, private hospitals 44,000, county schools 51,000 and professional firms 120,000. Median full-time wage is R$82,000 and household disposable income R$132,000. Rent is R$2,680, home price R$1.34m, energy R$2,310 and monthly rail R$290.

Revenue is R$29.4bn, expenditure R$27.8bn, debt R$22.0bn and backlog R$12.1bn. The county has 3,020 school sites, 34 hospitals or large clinics and rail services every six minutes at the peak. Freight is limited to construction, retail and hospital supply. Lake runoff, road nitrogen and loss of wetland are the main environmental issues.

County Chair Cass Vale, Commuter Association head Lea Mere and Housing for Goldmere organiser Sana Pell are recurring actors. The Merebank Chronicle is commercially conservative. Disputes concern apartment density at stations, school access for lower-income workers and a wetland rail bypass.