United Council budgets to spend $1.2M

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 2

United Council budgets to spend $1.2M

The Canterbury United Council yesterday approved a draft budget for the 198485 year allowing for a total gross expenditure of $1,251,585. This represents an increase of less than 1 per cent on last year’s budget, but allows for a carryforward of $152,663. Constituent authorities will be asked to contribute $769,760 or 61.5 per cent of this (an average of $2.30 a head of population) and 26 per cent will come from Government grants. The biggest portion of the estimates ($642,300) has been set aside for regional planning, $229,965 for general policy and administration, $201,000 for urban transport planning, $82,870 for regional civil defence, $70,550 for air pollution, and $25,000 for the Resource Centre.

Because of the large carry-forward from the 1983-84 year, some councillors were concerned that if this year’s budget was fully spent a 20 per cent increase would be needed next year.

Cr R. H. Sloss moved that an allowance equivalent to an extra one and a' half staff jobs be deleted, but the motion was lost. Cr R. W. J. Harrington said he believed all councillors were concerned about the size of the budget, but unless some positive proposals for cutting it back could be put forward councillors would just have to accept it. “If we want the United Council to be an effective organ of local government we have to be prepared to pay for it,” he said. The chairman, Sir Hamish Hay, and Cr J. de C. Hanafin said the United Council should be careful not to expand into areas that more properly belong to the private sector. The policy and resources committee had earlier adopted a recommendation by Cr O. T. Alpers that constituent authorities should strike a separate rate for their contribution to the United Council. Cr Alpers said this helped explain the levels of expenditure to ratepayers.