CITY RATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 123, 27 May 1930, Page 6

CITY RATES.

A PROMISE RECALLED. (To the Editor.) " '■ ; " I read with interest your leader on municipal taxation. I would remind Mr Bail don of his promise at the last election that there would be no increase in rates. The halt penny increase is not all. Six years a<r 0 a property was rated at a rental of £62°thp rates were about £12 10/, and the income £195. The rental was increased to £84 the rates increased to close on £20 and mean -while the income fell to £109. The present valuation has been increased to £100; what the rjates will be remains to be seen, but' meanwhile by the expenditure of over £60 the' income has been increased to £145. Perhaps the increase in»valuation had somethinrr.to do with a rebate of half rates on another property of the same owner on account of it being unoccupied for over six months. But in respect of rebates t)ie Act wants amending. As it stands at present, the rebate is allowed only if the six months occur within the financial year; if it• j" 8 (although continuous) partly in one financial year and partly in another one has no claim • If the property is unoccupied for ten months' five in one year and five in another, no claim holds good. OVERTAXED