19 p.c. rate rise for Riccarton Borough

Press, 27 July 1982, Page 6

19 p.c. rate rise for Riccarton Borough

Riccarton ratepayers will have to pay an additional 19 per cent in rates this year, the Borough Council decided last evening. The Riccarton Borough rate is up 12.5 per cent this year, and with the ad-hoc charges added the total rate increase is 19 per cent. The borough rate requirement is $577,695. compared with $513,687 last year. The ad-hoc bodies have been allocated $832,549. compared with $668,225 last year. The Town Clerk and Treasurer. Mr J. B. Skinner, said last evening that the credit balance had been increased since the rate increase was first calculated. The credit balance was now $22,400. an increase of $6400. Cr A. B. Harman, a member of the finance and bylaws committee, suggested that as an extra $6400 had been found, the borough rate increase should be reduced from 12.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent. He said that he did not normally move against the recommendation of a committee that he worked on, but he thought the figure should be changed as the council would have more money than expected at the committee meeting which approved the rates. "Where we have the wherewithal, it always gets used up." he said.

"If the rates are reduced another 1 per cent, it appears that my rates will go down $2." "I cannot see that at the end of the year we will have a great, fat balance." Cr G. R. Marriner said. “The money we are talking about is a pittance." Cr D. A. Anderson said that if the council really got into trouble during the year some works could be set aside. "We can control cash flow in this borough if we want to." The rates should be reduced by the amount that had been found, he said. The amendment to reduce the rates was lost. In deciding on a 12.5 per cent increase. the council's committees took the wage and price freeze into consideration. "Had the wage freeze not been applied our wage and salary estimates would have had to be 7.5 per cent higher representing an additional 6 per cent on the borough rates." Mr Skinner said in his report to the council. Recent property revaluations in the borough mean that residential properties south of Riccarton Road will have a small rate increase or a reduction on last year, while commercial and residential properties north of Riccarton Road will have increases of up to 70 per cent. Increases in ad-hoc bodies'

requirements for this year include a 14 per cent increase for the Catchment Board, a 24 per cent increase for the Drainage Board, and a 28 per cent increase for the Transport Board. "It is interesting to note that the council is using 40 per cent for itself and passing 60 per cent on to ad-hoc bodies." Cr Warren said. "The more we try the less others seem to. " Cr Warren said that every man. woman and child in the borough was paying $4O a year to ride on the bus. "To pull the chain is $BO a head." he said. The chairman of the electricity committee, Cr P. D. O'Me’eghan. said that his committee was concerned about the problems the trading department was having in obtaining refrigeration stock for the department. The department's manager had advised that Fisher and Paykel. Ltd. was the only manufacturer of refrigeration in New Zealand and did not want to open any more retail outlets in Christchurch, he said. "This is a restrictive trade practice of the most blatant kind," Cr O'Meeghan said. "The council has asked the local member of Parliament to take up the matter."