COUNTY FINANCES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10385, 2 May 1925, Page 6

COUNTY FINANCES

RAISING OF £SOOO LOAN. GENERAL RATE OF id IN £. The raising of a loan of £SOOO for bridge repairs has been decided upon by the Ashburton County Council. The general rate for the year will be §d in the £. The estimates were framed yesterday, when the question whether the cost of bridge repairs should be met by an increase in the rat© to 5Sd, or raised by loan was decided. The discussion was taken in committee.

'ln .addition to the general rate of £d, rates will l>e struck for ridings as follows : —Ashburton £d, Mount Somers l-16d, Rangitata |d, South llakaia Jd, Upper Ashburton 3-16 d, Wakanui Jd. The principal items of revenue and expenditure are as follow:—Revenue: Credit balance brought forward £3OOO, general rate of id in the £, £24,000, subsidy £950, rents £3OOO, royalties £SOO, general .revenue £I3OO, water charges £4300, Allenton sanitary charges £250, riding rates £6215. Expenditure: Hospital Board, £IO,BOO, birds £I3OO. salaries £2150, general expenses £IBOO, water supply £4300, maintenance of reserve £IOOO, grants £614, contingencies £IOOO, Highways construction and maintenance £BOOO, bridge repairs £sOll, new bridges (Lambie's Crossing and Poplar Road) £I3OO, balance £IBSB. The great amount of bridge repairs necessary now is due to the small amount of work done during the war period when prices were high and labour scarce. The council, rather than increase the rate to 5-Bd, decided upon tho lo:m. Tiie Government will subsidise this to the extent of one-third, and will pav half the cost of the Rakaia Gorge bridge.