County’s rates up 21.1 p.c.

Press, 27 May 1978, Page 3

County’s rates up 21.1 p.c.

I Ratepayers in Akaroa) I County last year had to pay ) a 23.5 per cent rate increase: this year’s increase is 21.11 per cent. I In Akaroa township itself,' : the rates will be raised 15.8 ■ per cent, compared with last year’s 37 per cent. The County Chairman (Mr T. J. Brocherie) said that ; had the county included in its estimates all the projects ! it wanted to do and should do, the rate increase would have been 46 per cent. At yesterday’s meeting of the council, Mr Brocheriesaid that this year’s estimates had been cut “right' down to the bone” and that this year there would be no! actual increase in non-subsi-dised spending. “It is going to be very difficult for us to run this office on this budget,” he said when councillors, after long discussion, finally approved the $609,062 estimates for the year. Grants and subscriptions were trimmed drastically, ! the only additional item being a $lOO donation to the Lincoln College Foundation.) j A request for a grant from I the Army Memorial Museum Trust was declined but the ' council will collect donations from persons wishing to contribute to the museum. The county engineer (Mr K. A. Paulin) said that .the rains in April had caused about $15,000 damage in the I county. This year $85,000 is earmarked for flood damage. Akaroa plans to take advantage of the Government’s i temporary work scheme, and: ! has allotted $55,000 for mat-j | erials for such work. The main works pro-) gramme is estimated to cost!

$219,228, the subsidised works programme $341,728 and non-subsidised works $109,322. In many sectors estimate, items are well below whati was spent last year.