Rebel ratepayers have apparently paid

Press, 18 February 1986, Page 4

Rebel ratepayers have apparently paid

Merivale’s rebel ratepayers seem to have paid their outstanding rates, but without the 10 per cent penalty. The City Treasurer, Mr Robert Lineham, said yesterday that the council’s rates office had not worked out exactly how many people had paid their rates by the due date of February 15. However, the general impression was that people were paying the amounts outstanding. There were still people not paying the 10 per cent penalty imposed on outstanding amounts. They would be dealt with as ordinary non-payers, he said.

The leader of the Merivale ratepayers, Mr Kim Pettengell, agreed that most had paid their outstanding rates.

They had not, however, paid the penalty because they felt their case for changes to the rating sys-

tern had been vindicated by the council’s introduction of changes.

“The penalty is a charge for us bringing it to the council’s attention. We have tried to be conciliatory. I believe the council should be also,” Mr Pettengell said. He said some residents had received a letter from the council saying that they still owed a certain amount in rates and that they should pay it by February 17.

One letter told one woman resident that her $5O outstanding (the penalty on unpaid rate instalments) would incur a further 10 per cent from yesterday, Mr Pettengell said. The woman had paid her actual rates by Saturday, the due date, but had not paid the $5O penalty.

“Naturally we are upset at the council taking this attitude,” he said. Mr Pettengell said the Mount Pleasant and Sumner residents, who, followed the Merivale lead in paying only a part of their rates in protest against increases, had indicated they, too, would pay the outstanding amounts in rates, but not the penalty.

The due date for those residents is March 15. Mr Lineham said the council would work out figures for non-paying ratepayers after March 15.

At January 31 the council had $7,087,243 outstanding in rates, about one-fifth of its total rates. Not all of this was because of the MerivaleMount Pleasant protests.