MORE NEEDED IN RATES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29239, 24 June 1960, Page 12

MORE NEEDED IN RATES

Big Expenditure

On Works

Fixing a general rate of 3 9/16d in the £ of unimproved value, the Christchurch City Council last evening budgeted to receive £729,636 from this source towards its total estimated expenditure of almost £1.5 million. The rate compares with 4{d levied last year, but in the meantime the city’s unimproved value has increased by about onethird. Last year, the general rate produced £637,532.

The council agreed to a transfer to the general fund of £lO,OOO from the Municipal Electricity Department’s trading profit and £35,000 from the M.E.D.’s appropriation account.

To meet the requirements of interest and sinking fund charges, waterworks and libraries, the council also increased the amounts to be raised by those special rates—£l7,ooo more for loan charges, £7OOO for libraries and £32,000 for waterworks.

A special rate levied in previous years for street lighting (£42,000 last year) was not made. Instead, the council agreed to meet the charge from its general funds and an expected £18,250 subsidy from the National Roads Board.

Contributing factors to the rise in rates were the general wage increase granted last year (about £36,000 extra is needed) and the need to spend money on works in order to take full advantage of the subsidy offering from the National Roads Board.

The city’s unimproved value, on which the council levies its rates, has increased from £36,758,545 last year to a tentative £49,154,490. All the council's standing committees, apart from the traffic and works committees, underspent their votes last year, but the total estimate of £856,636 was overspent by £7687. The works department spent £31,788 more than its vote under the general rate.

This year, it is estimated that the works department will spend £473,703, nearly half the total spending of the 10 committees, out of rates, and that its actual expenditure, with the National Roads Board subsidy added, will be around £609,000. Like the works vote, all the other votes for this year are in excess of the amount spent last year. To meet an estimated expenditure of £185,752 for loan charges and principal repayments, the council will have recourse to an estimated National Roads Board subsidy of £25,420. but will have to find £86.020 from rates, compared with £74,987 last year. A new basis for calculating waterworks rates has been adopted. From the rates, which are levied on capital value, the council expects to receive £158,597, with connected dwellinghouses providing £135,351 of it. The uniform sanitation fee is increased from £3 4s to £4 for properties not connected with the sewer. Just over 3100 pans are collected by contractors. The levies made by the council for the Riccarton Bush Trustees and the Museum Trust Board are increased slightly, with the Fire Board’s levy almost the same as last year Less money is required for the North Canterbury Catchment Board’s administrative rate, but a little more for the class D rate. A summary of the council’s estimated expenditure is:—

Other Rates Museum Trust Bd. 14,191 16,052 Fire Board 32.118 32,048 Riccarton Bush .. 1.671 1,728 The rates to be imposed in addition to the general rate, with figures for last year in parenthesis, are:— Special.— To meet interest sinking fund and principal repayments on loans. 21/50d in the £ (306/625d) to produce £86.020 (£74,987) Waterworks. Dwellings connected, 186/625d in the £ on caoital value to produce £135,351; dwellings not connected, 93/625d to produce £3588; other buildings. 93/625d to produce £21,222. A different basis of calculation was used last year to produce a total of £159,549. compared with £158,597 requited this year. Libraries.— !s3/500d in the £ (429/1250d) to produce £62,671 (£52,564)

Uniform Sanitation Fees.—£4 (£3 4s>

Riccarton Bush Trustees.— 51/6250d in the £ (267/25.000d) to produce £1671 (£1593). Museum Trust Board.— 4B/625d in the £ (57/625d) to produce £15.729 (£13,968)

Fire 80ard.— 234/3125d in the £ of the value of improvements (513/2500d in the £ of improved value) to produce £31.302 (£31.428)

North Canterbury Catchment Board.— Administrative 12/125d in the £ (21/125d) to produce £19,661 (£25.731); Class D. 177/1250d in the £ (39/250d) to produce £27.964 (£23,103); Class F. 3/50d in the £ <42/625d> to produce £437 (£345).

[Discussion on Page 141

Spent last year £ 8.721 Vote this year £ 11.995 Baths and entertain7.004 12.986 By-laws, Finance, partmental Housing de171.202 10.576 193.485 12.855

Reserves — General 94,054 100,315 Domains 34,858 37.435 Art Gallery 3,124 9,272 Town planning .... 23,083 24,697 Traffic 91,972 100,775 Works 419,725 473.703 Special Rates Vote Vote last this year year £ £ Interest, etc., on loans 168,058 185,752 Libraries 61,934 68.847 Waterworks 198.491 231,124 Street lighting .... 42.868 •Not rated.