CITY’S GENERAL RATE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22464, 27 July 1938, Page 10

CITY’S GENERAL RATE

♦ Increase of 3-8 d i%£ RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Decision Made By Finance Committee A recommendation that the city 1 * general rate be increased by |d ia the £ will, it is understood, be made to the Christchurch City Council by its finance committee. If this recommendation is approved by the council the general rate will rise from 2id in the £ on unimproved value to 2|d in the £. The finance committee’s recommendation will be considered at a special meeting of the council next Monday night. An increase of id in the £ win, yield about £17,000. Last year the general rate of 2£d in the £ was calculated to produce £114,768. this being a slight Increase on the general rate for 1936-37. The finance committee’s decision to ask the council to strike a higher rate for the current financial year was made last night. The committee has had an exacting task this year, for all the standing committees asked for more money, the total increase, it is believed, being nearly £40,000. Last week the committee spent more thaa five hours considering the other committees’ requests for increased spending power, and in that time disposed of the greater part of the business; the meeting last night being held to complete the work. If the council decides to increase the general rate by id, the total of general and special rates levied on city properties this year will be about £43,000 more than was struck last year, for there have been increases in the rates collected by the council for three other local bodies. These are the Christchurch Drain* age Board, the Christchurch Tramway Board, and the North Canterbury Hospital Board. The Drainage Board hag decided to increase its levy by £18£9% the Tramway Board by £9OOO, and the Hospital Board by £1736. Against tfaH increase will be offset‘the decrease-oi £2530 in the Christchurch Fire Board* levy. __________