COUNTY FINANCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 196, 1 June 1945, Page 2

COUNTY FINANCE.

REVIEW BY CHAIRMAN. EXPENDITURE FOR YEAR. “While the position of the various accounts of the County Fund is not as good as the previous year, a fairly satisfactory credit balance has been carried forward and will be used to assist in this year’s works.” stated the chairman of the Ashburton County Council (Air H. C. B. Withell); in his annual review, which lie presented to the Council to-day.

Mr Withell said that the credit this year was £27,250, against £35,020 last year. After full consideration, riding accounts were abolished. While the advantages of the new system would not be manifest for a number of years, the Council feels that the policy was a sound one. Its adoption by the Council was not entirely new, as the cost of riding roads and street lighting and a few incidentals were the only items which had been charged directly to . ridings. All expenditure otherwise was charged to the County as a whole, such as main highways, main roads, bridges, culverts, water supply and plantations. Rates would now be levied over the County on an equal basis, and full records would still be kept of expenditure in each riding for fu_ hire reference.

i Continuing, Mr Withell said that | heavy commitments faced the Council ■ | in the coming year, and it would, un--1 j fortunately, be necessary to make ih--1 j creased demands on the ratepayers. j This was brought about by the smaller ; credit balance carried forward, £BOOO, restoration of flood damage £14,000, ■ | Catchment Board levies amounting to ; £1.500. and increased holiday pay esti- ] mated at £2600. The total cost of flood j damage was £22,824, the subsidy of i the Main Highways Board reducing the figure to about £14,000. The principal expenses would he as follows: i Main highways £II,IOS, main roads ! £BI4O, bridges and culverts £1567, i Ashburton Riding £435, Mount Hutt | Riding £1586, Mount Somers Riding I £6OB, Rangitata Riding £I6SO, j Upper Ashburton Riding £1124, | water supply £O3B, river protection I £330. ‘ Wages paid amounted to £28,003, * including wet-weather pay of £309 and i holiday pay £lls3. The monthly averj age of employees was 70. Petrol Supplies. A total of 29,034 gallons of petrol ('against 23,924 in the previous fman. rial year) was purchased by the Couni oil at a cost of £3BIO 15s 6d, which I was an average of- 2/7.4d a gallon, j Petrol tax at the rate of lOd a gallon | was refunded, amounting to £llOO 6s Bd. The net cost to the Council teas I £2710, or 1/10.3d a gallon.