NO SHARE FOR WAIMAIRI

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29262, 21 July 1960, Page 12

NO SHARE FOR WAIMAIRI

Surplus Funds Of M.E.D. A claim by the Waimairi County Council for a share in the surplus funds of the Municipal Electricity Department for the benefit of county ratepayers was rejected by the City Council last evening. The council had noted with some concern the transfer of surplus funds from the electricity undertaking to the general account, the Waimairi council wrote. When Waimairi’s electricity supply undertaking was taken over by the City Council no compensation was paid to Waimairi. For that reason, the council felt that when there was a surplus of funds in the power supply account, the funds should be returned to the consumers. Waimairi claimed a pro rata share of the surplus based on the amount transferred to the city funds. “The committee recommends that the demand be declined,” said the electricity committee. “Principle Wrong” The principle of taking money from the M.E.D. for the alleviation of city rates was wrong, said Cr. ,G. D. Griffiths, although the county council might have made tile application "with its tongue in its cheek,” knowing its ratepayers made use of many city amenities. He would far sooner see any M.E.D. surplus given to the city as a loan.

It had cost the city more than £35,000 to bring the Waimairi reticulation to the same standard as the rest of the city, said the Mayor (Mr G. Manning). The ratepayers of the city had to meet the responsibility for loans for electricity works. The Waimairi electrical undertaking was run down—"done " when the council took over, said Cr. G. D. Hattaway. It had cost £BO,OOO of M.E.D. funds in the first 12 months or so- “Had it not been for Waimairi we would be supplying electricity at a much cheaper rate in the city now," he added.

About £200.000 had been spent in Waimairi where the city had taken over a decadent undertaking and made it modern and efficient, Cr. H. P. Smith said. He added that in the city the council met half the cost of underground wiring in a new subdivision, Waimairi had refused to do so.