WANGANUI FINANCES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 152, 29 June 1944, Page 2

WANGANUI FINANCES

RATES REMAIN UNCHANGED COMMENT BY COUNCILLORS (P.A.) WANGANUI, this day. "We will have to face up to the fact that we cannot continue with the money available. In the near future we will have to tell the people that the rate will have to go up," said the deputy Mayor, Mr. T. S. Russell, at the monthly meeting of the Wanganui City Council when a move to fix the city rate levy at the same figure as last year was being considered. "The time is coming when the whole position will have to be faced up to, because there is insufficient revenue," observed Mr. E. W. Merewether when supporting Mr. Russell. "This year it will be our job to find ways and means of putting the finances of this council on a sound basis." The same aggregate rates as last year were levied on the motion of the Mayor, Mr. W. J. Rogers, M.L.C., thus absorbing the increased local body levies without extra cost to the ratepayer. "I have given an undertaking that the levy would not be increased in the aggregate. It is not possible to lower the rate unless we reduce the number of our employees and the amount of work we are doing," said Mr. Rogers.