$1M budget cut by City Council

Press, 9 May 1981, Page 6

$1M budget cut by City Council

The Christchurch City Council’s draft budget — trimmed of the $1 million requested by committees and recommending a 20.45 per cent rate rise — was released to the public yesterday. It will be considered by a special council meeting on May 19. The average City Council rate increase over the last six years has been 19.5 per cent. In the last two years, the rises have been 21.79 per cent and 20.85 per cent: “These earlier figures are quoted to demonstrate how depressingly similar has been the problem confronting the council in the inflationary environment which regrettably has now become a fact of life,” the budget report says. The council had a credit

balance of $545,305 at the end of March. Instead of a budgeted $1 million, the council earned $1,376,000 in interest last year. That income was combined with the $2.37 million in proceeds from the unexpected sale of the city abattoir. This year, the council would require $23 million from rating accounts, compared to $19.1 million in the. last financial year. The council has allowed for a 9 per cent rise in wage's and salaries this year. Among suggested cuts made by the budget subcommittee is a proposal not to contribute to the Canterbury Promotion Council this year. That, body had asked, for $38,939 from the City Couricil, and $25,000 had; been

recommended by the policy and finance committee. However, the budget subcommittee recommended $20,000 for Cuthberts Green marae design work, and $29,500 for the Arts Centre. Neither item had been on the original policy and finance budget. Cuts include $lOO,OOO for purchase of streetworks property, $74,000 for grants, $lB,OOO for the Sumner lifeboat slipway, $17,000 for works and traffic salaries, $40,000 for a ramp between the Robert McDougall Art Gallery and the Canterbury Miiseum, :$lO,OOO for gallery acquisitions of art. works, $lB,OOO for library book purchases,. $21,000 for health department salaries, $250,000 for waterworks renewals and $lO,OOO for Municipal Electricity Department clean air publicity.,- "J.