COUNTY OF TAUPO

Press, Volume C, Issue 29623, 20 September 1961, Page 17

COUNTY OF TAUPO

Submissions On Control fNX Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 19. Submissions from several Government departments were heard by the Committee on Taupo County Control today as to whether the county should remain under its present county commissioner or have an elected council The committee comprises Mr J. C. D. Mackley, county clerk. Masterton, as chairman; Mr P. J. O’Dea, of the Internal Affairs Department; and Mr K. Gillis, of the Audit Office. Wellington. Mr A. Ashley-Jones, for the Treasury, said a council should be elected for Taupo unless it could be convincingly shown that this would be undesirable.

“Treasury considers that the county has now achieved sufficient strength and financial stability to operate as an independent unit of local government and should be made so an elected council can take over the administra. tion from the date of the next local body elections,” he said.

The National Roads Board representative, Mr P. . L. Laing, said there was a very large investment by the Crown in Taupo in reading and it would be easy to neglect the roads for up to five years without any signs of deterioration, to suddenly find them all go at once. With all the reading in the area, it would be a responsibility on the council, he said. Submissions to the committee will continue tomorrow.