Tardy Ratepayers Owe £lm.

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30682, 23 February 1965, Page 14

Tardy Ratepayers Owe £lm.

With only two days to go before the 10 per cent penalty is imposed, tardy ratepayers in the Christchurch City and eight smaller council districts around Christchurch were yesterday owing their councils £1,075,000. Other ratepayers have contributed £2,094,000 into the local body coffers.

People flooded into council offices as soon as the doors were opened. City Council staff, in particular, had a busy day.

Rates levied in the city area this year amounted to £2,238,455. So far, about £1,400,000 has been received, leaving about £BOO,OOO yet to come. The amount collected represents about 64 per cent of the total.

All rates not paid by February 24 will be subject to a 10 per cent penalty. The variation from the amount received at the same time last year is only slight. In Wairewa the percentage taken is small compared to other councils, but the county clerk (Mr W. F. Aydon) said that this was not unusual. The ewe fairs being over, he expected many farmers to pay within the next two days. Lyttelton has received the highest percentage by far in the area.

Amounts levied, paid, which is also expressed as a percentage, and the amounts still owing in the various counties are:—

Waimairi, £456,414; £321,033 or 70.3 per cent; £135,381. Paparua, £175,742; £124,176 or 70.65 per cent; £51,566. Heathcote, £88,929: £63,491 or 72 per cent: £25,438.

Riccarton, £88,026; £64,436 or 73.1 per cent; £23,590. Lyttelton, £42,269; £35,197 or 83 per cent; £6072. Halswell, £38,409; £25,982 or 68 per cent; £12,427. Wairewa, £15,777; £6698 or 41 per cent; £9079. Mount Herbert, £14,000; £9OOO or 64 per cent; £5OOO.