20% rate rise

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32965, 11 July 1972, Page 1

20% rate rise

An increase of 20.19 per cent in the general rate —the first increase since 1967—was made by the Heathcote County Council at its estimates meeting last evening, when notice was given to strike a rate of 0.49 of a cent in the dollar on the capital value.

The water rate was increased by 5 per cent to 0.1454 c to enable the amount, in deficit $3949 at March 31, to “break even.” The County Clerk (Mr K. D. Stills) said the estimates provided for a closing credit balance of $20,000 as a buffer between increased costs and income. After referring to the “phenomenal increase in costs,” the chairman of the finance committee (Cr J. Somers) said: “Taking everything into consideration, the increase is reasonable and put bluntly, prudent business.” The chairman (Mr E. L. Tyndall) said it was prudent to budget for a surplus, but to achieve it, there would have to be close adherence to the estimates. Work had not been curtailed, and he was sure the ratepayers would not want this.

Comparing this year’s figures with the same votes in 1967-68, Mr Tyndall said works expenditure had risen by 60 per cent, reserves by 250 per cent, rubbish costs by 264 per cent, administration bv 54 per cent and grants by 309 per cent. The fact that the council

■was paying $43,000 to metropolitan projects answered city dwellers who thought the outside councils did not contribute to them. Mr Stills said the estimates provided for an expenditure of $148,487 on reading, compared with $133,357 spent last year. Total expenditure was estimated at $299,818 from the general account, compared with $294,923 spent last year.