CITY COUNCIL ESTIMATES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18157, 21 August 1924, Page 8

CITY COUNCIL ESTIMATES.

TOTAL OF £168,570. new general rate of 3fD. INCREASE OF A FARTHING. The City Council held a special meetin"- last night to consider the estimates for the coming year. There were present at the meeting the Mayor (Mr J. A. Flesher), and Crs.. A. Williams, A. Mc-Kellar, J. W. Beanland, E. H. Andrews, J. Anderson, A. W. Beaven, W. H. Winsor, C. Carr, E. McCombs, O. Anderson. C. P. Agar, J. K. Archer, and W. E. Leadley. The proceedings were conducted in committee. RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE. The estimated receipts and expenditure for the coming year, with a comparison for the previous year, were reported as follows (shillings and pence omitted):—

Estimated Receipts. £ 1924-25 ... 1923-24 ... ... 14y,000 Increase ... £18,195 Estimated Expenditure. £ 1924-25 ... ... 168,570 1923-24 147,265 Increase ... £31,305 A new general rate of 3gd was authorised. Last year, the rate was 3§d. The position summarised is as follows :—■ ■L/ Estimated expenditure ... 168,570 Less special revenue ... 43,237 ~125,333 Rate of 3fd ... ... 124,007 Estimated deficiency ... 1,326 SUMMARY OF ESTIMATES. The expenditure authorised, and which totalled £168,570, was divided as follows: Department. Amount voted, 1923-4. 1924-5. £ £ Gen'l. Administration, finance, etc ... 39,788 37,465 New offices, furnishing, etc. ... Works and sanitary 91,000 111,729 Cashel street bridge 2,016 2,200 Reserves ... ... 8,146 9,13<J Library additions ... 954 • Land purchases ... 2,395 992 Baths 2,951 3,195

Totals 147,265 168,570 General Administration. The chief items in the general administration rate were:— £ Mayor's honorarium .. .. 400 Town Clerk .. •• •• 750 Chief' Clerk .. .. ..400 Committee Clerk .. .. 325 Chief Inspector .. .. 375 City Surveyor .. .. 700 Assistant City Surveyor .. 400 Building Inspector .. .. 350 Supervising Foreman .. .. 350 City Treasurer .. .. 700 Eate Collector • • „. 450 Motor Inspector .. .. 350 Clerical assistance .. .. 974 Furnishing new offices .. 3858 Cars and cycles .. .. 338 Printing and stationery .. 1678 Loan poll expenses .. .. 1319 Printing rolls .. . • 750 Eates on city property .. 854 Traffic police .. .. 500 Contingencies .. .. 500 Superannuation contribution .. 3030 Bonds .. • ■ . • 400 Interest on overdraft and temporary loans .. .. 2800 Grants. The grants authorised were:— £ Visiting warships .. .. 250 St. John Ambulance •• .. 50 Progress League .. .. 250 Progress League (publicity) .. 250 Sumner Lifeboat .. .. 20 Art Society .. .. 50 W.E.A. .. .. .. 50 District Nursing Association .. 200 Plunket Society .. .. 50 Children's Cottage .. .. 50 Sick Benefit Society .. .. 578 Technical College .. .. 300 Linwood Library subsidy .. 150 St. Albans Library subsidy .. 100 Sydenham Library subsidy .. 125 Waltham Library subsidy .. 50 Addington Library subsidy .. 100 Woolston Library subsidy .. 50 Papanui Library subsidy .. 50 Life-Saving Society .. .. 10 Riccarton Bush Trustees ... 100 Employees' picnic .. .. 20 Abattoir picnic .. • • 2 Creche and Kindergarten Association .. .. .. 50 Society for Protection of Women and Children .. .. 50 Works Department. The chief items of expenditure in the Works Department wore:— £ Street maintenance — Materials .. .. .. 3,127 Wages .. . • • • 27,300 Eoad rollers — Fuel .. - - • - 453 Wages .. • • •. 1,087 Cleansing streets and channels— Materials .. .. .. 1,750 Wages .. •. .. 10,398 Horses — Fodder, etc. .. .. 3,640 Shoeing, etc. .. .. <396 Wages .. • • •. 1,350 Printing — Wages .. .. •« 181 Conveniences — Cathedral square —wages 1 .. 1,003 Cashel street —wages .. 486 Street watering — Council water .. .. 160 Wages .. •. - • 200 Tramway Board .. .. ' 522

Metal and grit .. .. 15,965 Street widening .. ... 1,052 Contingencies .. .. 500 Tar • - - • • • 6,656 Pipes and culverts — Materials .. «. 800 Wages .. •• •« 249 Benewing channels — Materials .. .. • • 272 Wages .. •• •• 261 Yards — Materials .. .. •• 375 Wages .. • - • * 80 Boundary roads .. •• 556 Bridges — Materials . t .. 500 Wages .. •• •• 202 Street names — Materials .. .. •. 100 Wages . - .» • • 75 Dust removal — Materials .. .. - • 860 Wages .. •• •• 7,124 Destructor — Materials .. •• .. 675 Wages .. .. 4,476 Sanitary trucks .. .. 1,100 Grit shed, Moorhouse avenue .. 1,150 Bridge of Remembrance _ .. 2j200

Among items for new works and plant .were the following:— & Stables (neiv yard) 1,250 Church road, Opawa .. 640 Motor-cars .. .. 455 Side channels .. .. 950 Widening Norman's road r.. 1,400 Cornhill street .. .. 450 Electric truck .. 2,380 Bitumen plant .. 1,500 Reserves Department. The chief items of expenditure in the Reserves Department were:— £ Superintendent „„ „« 200 Wages .. 2,465 Linwood Park 43S St. Albans Park ,327 Sydenham Park ... 304 Kichmond Domain .. 54 Elmwood Park .. . 455 Beckenham Park .. ... 291 Spreydon Park .. 313 Woolston Park .. 300 Opawa Park .. .. ~ 251 Jerrold street Reserve 50 Bottle Lake planting .. .. 20S Bottle Lake thinning .. .. 535 Bottle Lake purchase instalment 390 Linwood Nursery .. .. 310 Smart's Pond .. ... 427 Linwood Park Lake .. 100 Lawn mowers .. .. 400 Land for Woolston Park .. 375 Children's playground subsidy .. 250 Baths expenditure .. .. 3,195

Meeting the Cost. To help meet the foregoing estimated expenditure of £168,470, there was stated to be available as special revenue during the year the sum of £43,237, the chief items being:— £ Outstanding rates and penalty .. 3,765 Licenses .. .. .. 1,970 Auctioneers .. .. 1,118 "Vehicles .. .. .. 6,500 Dog registration .. .. 750 Heavy traffic .. .. 600 Fees and Fines ~. 500 Dust removal ... . 1,000 Commissions .. ... . 1,130 Conveniences .. 2,050 Rents .. .. .. 827 Sale of materials, etc. .. 5,420 Electricity Department rates .. 2,400 Waimairi settlement of accounts 1,000 Sales of reflectors .. .. 430 Baths receipts .. .. 2,300 Credit balance .. .. 7,308 Allowing for the estimated special revenue there remained a sum of £125,332 to be provided by rate. The rate proposed was 3gd, which would produce £124,007, leaving an estimated deficiency of £1326. The Position Analysed.

In moving the adoption of the estimates as passed by the committee, the Mayor said the increased expenditure contemplated this year was £26,117, and the increased rates over the city would be' £.23,181. The municipal rate would actually be increased by nearly £4569, while rates other than the city rate would be increased by £18,612. There were savings this year on rates amounting to £7327, made up as follows:

Special rates, interest, etc., .. 1792 Hospital rate .. 234 Fire Board levy .. .. 231 City lighting .. .. 2128 Antecedent liability .. .. 165 Water rates .. .. .. 2777 Total .. .. ..£7327 The increases were:— General rate .. •• 10,553 Drainage Board rate ... 4,636 Waimakariri rate ... .. 14,025 Domains' levy .. .. 416 Sanitation fees .. •• 87S Total .. .. •• 30,508 Savings on other items .. 7,327 Increased amount to be levied £23,181 Of that amount of £23,181 the sum of £18,612 related to items outside of city business proper, and the' actual increase in the city rating proper was £4569. From that point of view the position was not so serious as might be thought. Total Bating. The Mayor then quoted the following figures showing tlie total rating imposed on the city (shillings and pence omitted): — 1923-24. 1924-25. Bates. Estimated £ £ General .. .. 113,454 124,007 fcpeciai (for interest, etc.) 26,064 24,272 Hospital and Charitable In-

stitutiona .. •- 20,827 20,093 Drainage Boards' .. 37,350 41,98G JBoaards* .. .. 6,172 5,9-11 Domains' Boards' .. 1,882 2,29S Waimakariri lUver Boards' .Class A .. .. 12,314 Waimakariri Eiver Boards' Class B .. .. 1,711 Street Lighting .. 9,366 7,238 Antecedent Liability .. 10,429 10,264 Water Bute .. _ .. 13,890 11,113 Uniform Fees (Sanitation) 7,437 8,315 Heatficote river Cleaning, Woolston) .. .. 20 29

Total rates levied .. £240,407 £269,587 Equivalent to rates in the pound on 6 4-5 7-1-3 unimproved value of 6d. 119289 7d.210677 156250ths 625,000tha An increase in 1924-25 of 356621 625000ths The position of the Antecedent Liability Account waa:— Estimated At 31et as ut March, 1924. 31-3-25. £ £ General Account .. 50,714 40,571 Baths Account .. .. 473 378 Spreydon Shingle Pit .. 18 " Waterworks Account .. 5,067 4,054 Bromley Cemetery No. 2 Account .. .. 1,414 1,131 Sanitation Account .. 1,431 1,145 £59,119 £47,284 The Mayor added that there were certain non-recurring items in the estimates this year. There was a sum of over £3OOO for completing the furnishings of the new municipal offices. He also calculated that the works department had provided for extraordinary expenditure amounting to £12,873. The Beserves Department had also estimated for £I9BO non-recurring expenditure. He regretted that the general rate had to be increased, but the position was absolutely unavoidable this year.

Cr. A. McKellar said the Work 3 Estimates for the areas outside the city proper were in excess erf the population that should be expended having regard to the rates collected in those areas. The committees should reduce their proposed expenditure, for he considered the Council was not justified in raising the general rate beyond the former ?sd. He moved an amendment that the general rate be fixed at 3Jd, and thr.t the committees be instructed to reduce their expenditure Accordingly. The amendment was seconded by Cr. C. P. Agar and lost by four votes to nine, those supporting it being Ors. Williams, McKellar, Agar, and J. Anderson.

Cr. J. K. Archer then moved a-n. amendment to the adoption of the estimates that the salary of the Records clerk should be increased from £2OB to £221, that of the bead typiste from. £2OB to £221, that of an assistant typiste from £llO to £135, and that of the rate collector from £450 to £475. The amendment was seconded by Cr. O. Carr and lost.

The motion for the adoption of the estimates and _ 3*d rate as reported from the committee stage was carried, Crs. Williams, McKellar and Agiir dissenting.