AUCKLAND PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27040, 15 May 1953, Page 8

AUCKLAND PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Record Deficit On Year’s Working

LEVY ON LOCAL BODIES EXPECTED “The Press*' Special Service AUCKLAND, May 14. Faced with a record deficit on its last year’s working, the Auckland Transport Board is expected, for the first time in its history, to strike and collect a rate over its area this year. In the past the board has struck special rates as security for loans, but it has never collected a rate. In September the board’s manager (Mr C. R. Ggibble) estimated a loss of £67,411 for the revenue year which ended on March 31. This compares with a loss of £6934 in 1951-52, when a surplus of £12,036 was budgeted for. In 1960-51 there was a loss of £46,575, and in 1949-50 a loss of £41,818. The accounts for the last year will be placed before the board, probably in the first week of June. Under the Auckland Transport Board Act, 1928, the board may meet an excess of estimated expenditure over estimated income in any year by levying on local authorities. The sum will be apportioned among the contributing bodies according to the capital , va lue of the rateable property in each. The local authorities may pay the levy out of ordinary funds or raise the amount by a special rate. Contributing local bodies to any Transport Board levy will be: Auckland city, the Newmarket. Mount Albert, Mount Eden. Mount Roskill, Onehung*. One Tree Hill, Ellerslie, and Mount Wellington boroughs, the Panmure road district, and the Mangere riding of Manukau county. It Is expected- that ratepayers in Auckland city, the biggest contributing area, will have to pay about £lB,OOO, or a special rate of about Jd in the £. The City Council already acts as collecting agency for the Metropolitan Drainage Board (last year’s levy, £74,004), tile Metropolitan Fire Board (current levy, £28,508), the Hospital Board (current levy, £123,175), and the Auckland Museum (current levy, £3797, with ah additional council contribution of 15 per cent.). Special rates to cover the hospital and drainage levies are added to ratepayers’ demands.