Kaiapoi cuts refused

Press, 10 July 1979, Page 3

Kaiapoi cuts refused

Kaiapoi Borough coun-l cillors are not prepared to reduce services to ratepayers to meet the cost of the town’s new high-pressure water supply. This was said last evening by the chairman of the council’s finance committee (Cr R. L. Wylie), at a meeting of the committee. His comment comes at the peak of a row between the council and local residents about a 38 per cent rise in the borough’s rates. Most of the rates increase was to service loans for the $1.4 million scheme, to which all Kaiapoi residents should be connected within a year. Cr Wylie said he felt the essence of the conflict was whether the council should reduce its other services to offset the cost of high-pres-sure water. Discussion among councillors had

|“made it quite clear that councillors are not prepared to do this.”

The main thrust of opposition to the council’s plan to increase rates has come in the form of a petition calling for its resignation. This already contains more than 1000 signatures. The council is expected to reply to this at its full meeting on July 16. Cr H. W. Cumberland suggested at last evening’s meeting that examination of the estimates and likely rating should be considered by each council committee before the matters went to the finance committee and the full council as at present.

This was opposed by the Mayor (Mr B. O. Williams), who said that such a method had been used before in the borough. “We found it unacceptable because the esti-

mates always had to be cut back when the decisions of each committee came to the full council,” he said. “We just had to start all over again.” Last evening’s meeting also rejected a suggestion that concession tickets giving free entry to the town dump for all ratepayers, be extended to all residents. The Kaiapoi Ratepayers and Residents’ Association said that the system was penalising those who rented properties. It was agreed that the council reply, emphasising that the measure had been intended as a privilege to those who paid rates, and not as a handout. It will also suggest that tenants apply to their landlords for the tickets, which will be issued to landlords when they pay rates on their properties.