Local bodies pay more

Press, 16 April 1981, Page 6

Local bodies pay more

The Town Hall will cost metropolitan local authorities more than $820,000 to run this financial year. Last year local authorities contributed more than $660,000 towards the running costs of the To\vn Hall. This year’s contribution is 24.3 per cent higher. The Town Hall manager, Mr B. P. Conjnell, told the Board of Management yesterday that this year’s estimates were up by more than 30 per cent. The two significant factors were a 21 per cent increase in loan servicing charges, (from $265,668 to $323,600), and a debit balance of $24,745 at the end of the 1980-81 financial year. The board had budgeted for

a credit balance of more than $52,000 for the last financial year. The debit balance was a result of a 15.7 per cent increase in salaries and wages that had not been entirely provided for in last year’s estimates. The Town Hall had also had a considerable drop in estimated revenue, especially for the two main venus, the auditorium and the James Hay Theatre.

This year the Town Hall expects to receive about $490,000 in revenue, $40,000 more tahn last year. About $75,000 has been provided in this year’s estimates for capital and special items.

Included in this are alterations to the air conditioning in the Limes Room at an estimated cost of $3OOO.

Mr Connell said that air conditioning in the room was a continuing problem which could be overcome only by diverting the air supply to a higher level, as had been done successfully in the restaurant. The curtains in the Limes Room will also be replaced in spite of an attempt by Cr A. B. Harman to get the itesm dropped from the estimates. However, Cr R. W. Skjellerup said, and most board members agreed, that he would not like to see any penny-pinching. Standards at the Town Hall had to be maintained. The Town Hall will also spend about $25,000 on publicity this year, a similar amount to last year.