Town Hall’s budget trimmed

Press, 29 April 1988, Page 7

Town Hall’s budget trimmed

The Christchurch Town Hall’s draft budget has been trimmed to a 13 per cent rate increase by the sub-committee appointed to bring the increase in local body levies down.

The | hall’s board of management last week' turned,'the budget over to the sub-committee to cut,! expenditure to keep the! increase in rates down lb about ,9 per cent.

It was the second time: in two months the board had rejected the draft budget and its. cod responding rate increases.) The! sub-committee met on! Wednesday and the new draft budget it will recommend to the board next ; week , is about $300,q00 lighter. Cr | jDavid Cox. th<“ Christjcnurch City councillor whd led the campaigp to'; reduce the 35.6 per cent rate increase in the budget, said yesterday that the subcommittee had dropped

capital items that would not havd a great effect on the hall s running for the next year. He believed the 13 per cent mcrease recommended was acceptable. It was close enough to the magic inflation figure of 9 per cenlt. Cr Cox said the Town Hall wjuld have to become very competitive in the marketplace for functions and events at the complec. Five of the six venues within the complex had hosted fewer than expected functions — in dollar erms — last year, he said. “The; Town Hall has to get competitive and use its marketing people to secure more functions." Cr Cox said. The budget, as redrafted by the sub-com-mitteeJ includes the four new staff approved at last week’s board meeting.