City’s General Rate Will Yield 13% More

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30783, 22 June 1965, Page 1

City’s General Rate Will Yield 13% More

The City Council last evening levied a general rate of 3 3/10d in the £ of unimproved value. This is estimated to produce £948,807 towards a total expenditure of £1.249m.

Last year the council collected £837,849 in rates. Since then the city has been revalued, and no comparison of the rate as it affects individual properties is possible. The unimproved value of the city is now £69,004,175, against £50,304,500.

The council’s special rate for interest and loan repayments is down, the libraries rate collection will produce slightly more, and the special rate for waterworks, which was increased considerably last year, will produce about the same.

Ratepayers will find that the effect is directly related to the increase in the value of their properties. If the increase is 33 1/3 per cent or less then their rates should decrease. Above that, they will pay more.

Random comparisons made last evening

showed decreases in every case for the total demanded, but that includes the rates for the ad hoc authorities. The rates for the Transport Board, Drainage Board, and Catchment Board are down, and only the levy for the Fire Board shows an increase, the total levy for it being only about £1 for most dwellings.

The council’s vote from the general rate of £1,148,338 last year was overspent by £27.500 The works department spent £613,829, which was nearly £49.000 over its estimate. The estimate for works this year is £597,159. which is down on actual expenditure but £32.000 up on last year’s estimate. The other big increase is estimated for the by-laws, finance, and departmental committee. Its estimate is £285,861. against £213.460 spent of a £235,003 vote last year.

The committees to have their votes reduced are the reserves, which will still spend £126.380 under the general account: baths, a minor activity requiring only £550 this year; the art gallery, which is estimated to need £lOO less: and housing, which has had its vote cut by £4OO. Again this year the airport committee is making no call on the rates. M.E.D. Transfer The council has again transferred a sum from the electricity general account to the relief of the general rate, a bone of contention with the Waimairi County Council, which is supplied with power by the Municipal Electricity Department. The transfer this year is £40,000, against £50,000 last year.

The Crown grant in lieu of rates, which was given by the Government last year as a relief for local bodies, was estimated to produce £28,249 Receipts fell short of this by £5700. and this year the council has estimated £25,000 from the source

The total receipts from all sources towards the general rate —they include a wide range of payments for licen ces, fees, rents, fines, and interest—are estimated at £300.464, compared with £307,761 received last year, when the estimate was £290,280. The council began the current financial year with a debit of £31,366 in its general account. Roads Board From the National Roads Board subsidies the council expects to receive £300,871. This is allocated to carriageway and bridge maintenance and construction, street lighting. street marking, servicing works loans, and traffic control lights on State highways. The parking meters were again a good source of revenue for the council; but receipts are no relief for the rates. In line with council policy the parking meters are run as a separate account, and the surpluses go towards the cost of parking buildings and traffic-control lights. Bulking large in every committee’s spending is the cost of wages and salaries, which have increased in the year. Town Hall

Progress on the town hall project is reflected by a £32,000 transfer from the general rate to the town hall fund. In the past this fund has benefited by £lO,OOO a year from the rates. This year is local body election year, and the rate-

payers have to find the cost of holding the polls, estimated at £4500. Councillors have decided to put their own house in order, and the estimates include nearly £ll,OOO for worl on the council chambers. Details of estimated expenditure from the general rate are:—

Other Rates Rates in addition to the general rate, with last year’s figures in parenthesis, are shown in the following list, the levy being on unimproved value unless otherwise stated: Interest, Sinking Fund and Loan Repayments.—ll7/250d in the £ (93/125d) to produce £134.559 (£153,429). Libraries. 609/2500d in the £ (801/2500d) to produce £70,039 (£67.157). Waterworks. Connected dwellings, 9/25d in the £ capi-

tal value (252/S2sd) to produce £203,178 (£207,142); unconnected dwellings, 9/50d in the £ (126/625d) to produce £3482 (£3489); other buildings, 9/50d in the £ (126/625d) to produce £34,779 (£32.978). Riccarton Bush Trustees.— 21/2500d in the £ (189/ 250,000 d) to produce £2415 (£1585). Museum Trust Board. — 81/1250d in the £ (207/2500d) to produce £18,631 (£17,355) Fire Board Levy.—l2/125d in the £ on the value of improvements (447/5000d) to produce £47,103 (£43,403). Uniform Sanitation Fee.— £5 10s a year (£5 15s). North Canterbury Catch ment Board Levies.—Class D.

159/2500d in the £ (63/500d) to produce £17,445 (£24,821). Class F: 3/125d in the £ (129/ 2500 d) to produce £317

Expenditure

(£453). Administrative: 33/ 500 d in the £ (57/625d) to produce £18,976 (£19,116).

Among the major items of expenditure estimated are:— By-laws and Finance.— Mayoral honorarium, £l5OO (same); electors’ roll, £lOOO (£144); salaries, £95,000 (£90.297); transfer to town hall account, £32,000 (£10,000); report on master transport plan, £5500; council chamber alterations, £3785; renovations and furniture, £1200: new telephone system, £1500; improvements to lighting, £4500; municipal election, £4500; street lighting, £31.916 (£27,500); grants, £10,486 (£16,704). Reserves.—Salaries, £9750 (£9451); domains section salaries and wages, £26,500 (£25,849).

Town Planning.—Salaries. £24,500 (£17,321); share of regional scheme, £15,673 (£11,670).

Traffic.— Salaries and overtime, £97,600 (£94.502). Works.— Land for street widening, £10,550 (£19,933); street construction and widening, £170,600 (£177,605), including Cathedral square carriageway. £10,000: Cashel street, £8000: Idris road. £6200; Antigua street-Strick-land street relocation. £10,000; Lyttelton street shoulders, £5700; Avonside drive (Pembroke street to Wooley street) £9750, Opawa road, £16.000: Pine avenue. £7000; street repairs and maintenance. £285,000 (£189,738); bridge reconstruction, £47,400 (£34.415), including Montreal street £lB,OOO (£10.606); and Wilsons road. £2O 500; forming and grassing riverbanks at Kerrs reach, £4000; salaries. £70.580 (£71.853); industrial' consultants. £lOOO. Library.—Salaries, £32.287 (£31,726); books, £14,500 (£14,032). (Receipts are estimated at £16,384 (£16.421). Waterworks.— Pumping stations, £52,250 (£49.359); reservoirs and reticulation. £102.000 (£9B 235); capital expenditure, £70,000 (£47,742); including £20.000 for new reservoirs and mains and £12.500 for meter purchases. (Receipts estimated at £78,473 include £20,000 for the sale of water.)

Spent ’64 Est. ’65 £ £ Baths 1,437 - 550 By-laws, finance, depth 231,460 * 285,861 Entertainments 1,755 1,940 Housing 4.901 4,500 Reserves — General 130,553 126,380 Domains 38,546 40,384 Art gallery .. 5,897 5,799 Town planning 136,688 146,325 Works 613,829 597,159