CITY RATES GO UP BY 7.1 PER CENT

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31091, 21 June 1966, Page 1

CITY RATES GO UP BY 7.1 PER CENT

General Levy Over £lm For First Time

A general rate of 3 3/5d in the £ of unimproved value was fixed by the City Council last evening to produce an estimated £1,037,311. This represents an increase of 9.09 per cent on the 3 3/10d levied last year; but as there has been a decrease in some of the special rates levied by the council—notably a drop of 5.13 per cent in the rate for interest charges and loan repayment—there will be a 7.1 per cent increase, or £l4s 2d a £lOOO of unimproved value, in the council’s consolidated rates.

Last year the general rate yielded £927,755. This year’s levy is over £lm for the first time, and goes towards a general rate expenditure of £1,340,212, compared with £1,259,565 spent last year.

The special rate for libraries is up a little, the waterworks rates are unchanged and the rate levied to cover interest and sinking fund charges and loan repayments is down by 5.13 per cent, requiring £127,935, compared with £134,559 last year. For the first time, the airport committee, which has not made a call on the general rate for some years, is meeting its interest charge of £21,186.

With an increase of £86,518 in the council’s estimated wage bill this year, a rise in rates seemed inevitable. It became certain when the accounts of the Municipal Electricity Department showed that there could be no transfer to the general funds—last year the M.E.D. contributed £40,000.

When the rate demands go out this year there will be different results in different areas in the amount at the bottom of the forms. As well as collecting its own rates and levying for several other bodies, the council is collecing agent for the Christchurch Drainage and Transport Boards. With the consolidation of sewer loan rates this year, ratepayers in the old sewered area of the city will be paying the board considerably more, while those in the later-sewered area will have a reduction. For many in the latter category the net result will be only a few shillings more. New Values The unimproved value of the city has increased by £149,955 to £69,154,130. The capital value of the city is £192,699.145 and the value of improvements, on which the Fire Board levy is made, is £123,545,015. Seven of the council’s committees which call on the general rate for funds have an increased estimated expenditure this year over the amount spent last year. The only major committee to have a reduced estimate over actual expenditure is the traffic committee. This year its estimate is £146,545 Last year it spent £151,206. The biggest spender remains the works committee, with an estimated £677.290 this year, compared with £631,764 spent last year. It exceeded its estimate of £597.159. The estimate does not represent all the money that will be spent on city works, for with a National Roads Board subsidy and other income the committee will have control of almost £lm this year. The needs of the committees from the general rate and

their expenditure last year are shown in the following table. ! 1

Other Income In revenue before the rate is needed the council has a wide range of income, varying from £2 for beekeepers’ lieences to amounts such as £26,000 for the sale of firewood and timber and £49,000 for warrants of fitness, for which £36,000 was estimated last year but £47,810 received, partly as a result of

the increase in charges fixed by the Government. Th e grant by the Government in lieu of rates on Crown land yielded £23,876 last year, when £25,000 was estimated. This year £25,000 has again been estimated. The general account began the year with a debit balance of £11,837. At the same time

last year there was a debit of £31,366.

There was another good year for parking meters with cash takings of £58,470; but they are no help to the general rate. By long-standing policy the profits from the meters go towards benefits for motorists in the form of traffic control lights and offstreet parking areas and buildings. Among the major new items of expenditure in the by-laws and finance committee’s estimates is £4OOO for replacement of the mayoral car and £BOOO is provided for the cost of changing to decimal currency. The wage increase for all departments covered by the committee is estimated at £48,000 this year. The transfer to the town hall account will again be £32,500 from the general rate. This is to meet the agreement between all the metropolitan local bodies to fund an annual amount towards the cost of the town hall building. The finance committee’s estimates show that the cost of the municipal elections last year was £5738 and that the Queen Mother’s visit to Christchurch cost the council £750.

Details of the council’s special rates, with the figures for last year in parenthesis, are as follows: Special Rates Libraries.—627/2500d In the £ (609/2500d) to produce £72,266 (£70,039).

Interest, sinking fund and loan repayment.—lll/250d in the £ (117/250d) to produce £127, 935 (£134,559). Waterworks. Connected dwellings: 9/25d in the £ capital value (same) to produce £208,402 (£203,178); unconnected dwellings: 9/50d in the £ (same) to produce £3416 (£3482); other buildings: 9/50d in the £ (same) to produce £36,682 (£34,779). Riccarton Bush Levy.— 237/25,000d in the £ (21/2500d) to produce £2731 (£2415). Museum Trust Board Levy.— 177/2500d in the £ (207/2500d) to produce £20,400 (£18,631). Fire Board Levy.—l2/125d in the £ on value of improvements (same) to produce £49,418 (£47,103). Catchment Board Levies.— Class D: 3/50d in the £ (159/2500d) to produce £16,493 (£17,445), Class F: 3/125d in the £ (same) to produce £3lB (£317); administrative; 33/500d in the £ (same) to produce £19,017 (18,976).

spent vote last this year year £ £ Baths 916 1.200 By-laws, finance dep'm’tl 279.615 518,362 Entertainments .. 2,011 1,750 Housing 4,413 4,600 Reserves — Gen eral 132,118 144,710 Domains 38,601 38,910 Art Gallery 5,250 6,845 Traffic 151,206 146.545 Works .. 631.764 677,290