Heathcote ratepayers face 18 p.c. rise

Press, 17 June 1986, Page 8

Heathcote ratepayers face 18 p.c. rise

Heathcote County ratepayers will have to pay an average of 18.49 per cent more in rates this year. Last evening the council approved an increase in the general rate of 14.244 per cent, and an increase in the water rate of 10.8 per cent. This gave an over-all total of 13.49 per cent, with an extra 5 per cent for the goods and services tax. The council also introduced a differential rating system, to counter the effects of last year’s county revaluation, which affected some properties more than others.

The County Clerk, Mr Pat Cooney, said in his report to the council that if the differential had not been Introduced, residen-

tial property owners would have paid 83.6 per cent of the total rates this year, compared with 79.2 per cent last year. Industrial properties, on the other hand, would have paid only 7.8 per cent, compared with 10.5 per cent last year.

The rates levied on each sector, including GST, were: industrial, 0.93 c a dollar; commercial, 0.38 c a dollar; rural, 0.47 c a dollar; residential and other, 0.07 c a dollar. However, Mr Cooney emphasised that the amount paid by the industrial sector, now at 23.8 per cent of the total, was very large, while the amount paid by the residential sector, now at 60 per cent, was very low.

The differential levels charged to these two sectors will be changed to 13.8 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively, at the next finance and administration committee meeting. The changes will come into effect in September, and will be charged from the time of the third instalment. The second instalment will be charged at the level set last evening.

The chairman of the finance and administration committee, Cr Gil Laurenson, said the rates had not allowed for any expansion in county services, nor any increase in works. But the increase would be felt differently by individual ratepayers. The rates will earn the

county $1,084,056 this year, with the estimated total expenditure standing at $1,713,981.

Some of the increases in expenditure were in staff salaries, councillors’ expenses, and town planning.

Mr Cooney said the average increase in salaries and wages this year was 25 per cent. Cr Laurenson said planning hearings on the proposed Port Hills gondola would account for a large part of the increased costs for town planning.

The council allowed for $5970 in grants to cultural, welfare and recreational organisations. The largest of these was a grant of $lBO7 to the Christchurch Arts Centre.