RATING TOR FIRE BOARD

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27699, 1 July 1955, Page 6

RATING TOR FIRE BOARD

Sir,—l noticed in your paper a statement that the Fire Board required a certain sum from the City Council, a little less than last year; but, owing to revaluation in the city the council will have to collect nearly £3OOO from the ratepayers more than the . Fire Board asks for. Why? Surely the council can make a rate to collect . the exact amount required. What is ’ going to happen to this £3000? I fail to see that the revaluation of the city has anything to do with having to ; collect money that is not required. The fact of other districts not being revalued has nothing to do with it. — : Yours, etc., ( RATEPAYER. June 21, 1955. [“The fire protection area extends far beyond the city boundary and now includes the borough of Riccarton and poi Jons of the Waimairi, Heathcote, Paparua, and Halswell Counties,” said the secretary of the Christchurch Fire Board (Mr S. F. Marshall), in comment on this letter. “The combined local authorities contribute 40 per cent, of the Fire Board’s income. The apportionment of each of the loca authorities’ share is based upon their respective value of improvements. This year the new valuation of the city is used for computing the city’s s are of payment and as the value has increased it necessarily follows that the city’s share has increased. Next year the Waimairi and Heathcote counties will have been revalued and in consequence their contributions will increase and the city’s share will be less,” he said. “The correspondent can rest assured that the Fire Board only levies for and receives the actual amount required for maintaining the service. If the correspondent desires further information I would suggest that he call at my office, when I would be pleased to discuss the matter with him,” said Mr Marshall.] '