BOROUGH COUNCIL

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20903, 10 July 1933, Page 5

BOROUGH COUNCIL

-J—+ RANGIORA. One of the longest sittings of the Rangiora Borough Council in recent years took place on Friday evening. The meeting began at 7.30 o'clock and the council sat continuously until 12.45 a.m. It had been decided at the previous meeting of the council to take only important matters, and then to go into the estimates for the year. Owing to a deputation and other important matters, it was 9 o'clock before the council could go into their estimates, a draft of which had been prepared by the town clerk, Mr J. M. Fraser, following on recommendations by the works committee, which had previously spent some time in preparing its report. Before giving consideration to the estimates, the Mayor, Mr W. A. Rowse, said that in view of a heavy overdraft at the bank the committee had given a good deal of time to preparing their recommendations, as economy was absolutely essential in all departments. Otherwise the council could not carry on without having to increase the general rate, which he would be sorry to have to do. A good deal of necessary work on repairing footpaths torn up in laying down sewerage and water mains would have to be carried out, but new works would have to be held over for the present. The recommendations of the committee were to strike the same rates as last year, and if this was done he was sure the council would receive the approval of ratepayers. A sum of £2460, less rebate of £BO, would have to be raised by general rate. This would be covered by >. rate of 4d in the £ collected on the unimproved valuation basis: this was the same as the previous year. The special and separate rates were: Ashley river bridge, id in the £ to cover interest and sinking fund—£l24. Hospital levy, £540, a rate of 9-10 d in the £, producing £531. Water rate: Amount required for interest and sinking fund £904 on a valuation of £119,605, a rate of 2d in the £.

Sewerage rate: amount required for interest and sinking fund £1360. It was decided to strike a rate of 3d in the £, a slight increase on last year's rate of 2 3-sd, which was not sufficient to cover interest and sinking fund charges. These recommendations were agreed to. They are the same as the previous year with the exception of the sewerage rate which is slightly increased.