Waimairi rate to rise 21 p.c.

Press, 28 May 1981, Page 4

Waimairi rate to rise 21 p.c.

r Waimairi rates will rise an average of 20.9 per cent this year. A big stumbling block in the striking of the county ! rates last evening was the dropping of the mobile library service to the Belfast and Middleton ridings. A special finance committee meeting sat for seven •: hours last week considering the estimates. Last evenings meeting took four hours. Approximate individual riding increases confirmed last evening were: Papanui, 18.5 per cent; Styx, 18.6 per cent; Wairarapa, 18.7 per cent; Belfast, 20.7 per cent: Marshland, 20.9 per cent: Harewood, 21.3 per cent; Middleton, 23 per cent; and Fendalton and Avonhead, both 21.1 per cent. The average increase for the county of 20.9 per cent includes rates struck by ad hoc bodies. After a heated debate, the council confirmed a decision made at last week's finance committee meeting to drop the mobile library service from the Middleton riding.

Councillor B. E. Cossar, the Belfast member, successfully persuaded the majority of councillors to vote provision for the mobile service in his riding out of the estimates. It was eventually agreed — but only after more than 3‘z hours— that the $2802 estimated for the service of Belfast would be absorbed by other ridings using the service. At one stage of the debate a member of the public stormed out of the council chamber while Cr F. Chisholm. the Middleton member, was speaking. A petition from more than 160 people asking for the service to be retained in Middleton was tabled at the meeting. ■; People in the public gal- ? lery were obviously upset by the decision to drop the service to Middleton. Some councillors objected to the decision to drop the mobile service to the two ridings as it would increase costs in their riding. $ . Cr M. P. Hobby tried un- ‘

, successfully to get the mobile service to Middleton ’ back on that riding’s estimates. i The County Chairman, Mr D. B. Rich, called for the mobile library service to be I discontinued. His suggestion i i was rejected. ; s Cr A. A. Adcock labelled ■ t this move as "totally ir- | responsible.” He tried unsuc- | cessfully to get the question ® referred back to the library , sub-committee. ; . Cr I. G. Clark said .that it ; was only under duress that' he and Cr Margaret Murray ' would adjust the Avonhead estimates to absorb that cost. The mobile service, which i has been going for about six i months, was estimated to « cost seven ridings, including • Belfast, $36,870. | The dropping of the ser- ;*? vice from Belfast will cost •’ the Avonhead riding an extra $1144 than budgeted this year. The Canterbury Museum levy was again discussed, but ? only briefly. Cr Clark failed / to get council approval for a v ‘ $12,000 ex gratia payment * for the museum.