CITY COUNCIL RATES

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27999, 20 June 1956, Page 15

CITY COUNCIL RATES

Demands Expected To Be Unchanged

ESTIMATES NEXT MONDAY

Rate demands are never looked on as good news, but those which City i Council ratepayers will receive this year are not likely to represent worse news than did last year's. The council itself will probably levy the same rate as it did last year. It is also the collecting authority for seven other rating authorities, and the combined demand this year should be approximately the same as last year. The levy will be fixed by the council next Monday evening, when it will also consider the departmental estimates for the year. All the departments put their estimates of what they would require before a special meeting of the finance committee and | chairmen of other committees on Monday of this week. There, the estimates were “pruned” it is believed by about £50,000. Committees which had underspent their votes last year had no chance of getting greater amounts approved this year. When he presents the estimates, the chairman of the finance committee ! (Cr. T. H’. McCombs) will be doing so for the last time, for he has announced that he will not seek reI election in November. Cr. McCombs has presided over the finance Arrnmittee during the life of the present council, and under his chairmanship the yearly meetings to discuss estimates have not lasted nearly so long as they sometimes did in the past. Cr. McCombs is expected to announce that a general rate of 3d in the £ will suffice to meet the council’s needs for the year. That is the amount levied last year to produce £454.828. In keeping this year’s estimates to the same figure, the council is assisted by a substantial surplus, believed to be about £llO.OOO. It is contributed to by a subsidy from the Government of £25.000 for protective works at Sumner which was not budgeted for last year.

As several loans are coming to maturity the rate covering interest and sinking fund charges on them can be expected to be reduced. As well as its general rate, the council levies special library, street lighting and water rates. A reduction in the last-mentioned is expected, but it will probably be offset by a slight increase in the library rate. In addition to its rates, the council, which now controls the largest metropolitan area in New Zealand, derives income from licence fees, loading subsidies and the sale of property. Other Levies The council collects the rates for the North Cantrebury Hospital Board, the North Canterbury Catchment Board, the Christchurch Drainage Board, Christchurch Transport Board. Christchurch Fire Board, Canterbury Museum Trust Board and the Riccarton Bush trustees. The last two are fixed by legislation and represent a very minor share of a ratepayer’s demand. The cumulative rate demand this year will be about the same as last year, for while some of the ad hoc authorities have increased their rates, city ratepayers will benefit through the revaluation this year of Waimairi and Heathcote counties. Last year the city had just been revalued, with a result that city residents had to meet heavier demands for local bodies whose territories extend beyond the city than did those in surrounding counties.

The Transport Board this year has struck a lower rate than last year—18s lid per £lOOO of Government valuation for city properties, compared with £1 Is 2d last year. Drainage Board rates have increased slightly and the Fire Board has struck a greater levy, but both these organisations have boundaries beyond the city.

Hospital Board rating on land has been reduced annually since 1951. and next year will be abolished, all funds then coming from the Government. This year the North Canterbury board has levied the city £42,195, compared with £42.712 last year.

Catchment Board rates are slightly lower this year also. Rates fixed on Monday evening are payable before next March.