CITY FINANCES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 103, 1 May 1926, Page 8

CITY FINANCES

ESTIMATES PRACTICALLY READY

BATES AND OTHEB MATTEES,

The preliminary estimates for the year are practically complete, and may be placed before the full City Council on. Thursday evening, providing that the Finance Committee can complete its consideration of the figures in time. Should the committee be unable to do so a special meeting of the council will no doubt be held during the week following. Whether rates are to remain at the present level, or will climb upwards a little, or a lot, remains to be seen, but remarks made by councillors do not lead to the impression that the many necessary works can be carried through with revenue from rates as levied last year. The Reserves Department was last year severely and severally spanked as the bad boy of the family, for spending a lot of pocket money, but relief may be had in this direction if the special reserve works loan proposal is endorsed. This, of course, will -be a matter for the ratepayers, and will really be a book-keep-ing relief, for work carried out will still have to be paid for by the ratepayers, though the cost will be spread over a long period as interest and sinking fund charges. It is probable also that a proposal will be put forward for the raising of another special loan, one of the specific aims of which will be the construction of conveniences in various parts of the city. PROBLEMS FOR THE YEAR. When the estimates are out of the way, when the new rates are struck, and everyone is paying up most cheerfully, after the manner of ratepayers, there will still be several big questions before the council, first and foremost the appointment of the new Town Clerk and City Engineer. The consideration of the report of the Northland Tunnel Commission will follow, for it is now almost completed, and there will then remain on the order paper two important notices of motion, one, in the name of Councillor Luckie, proposing a change from the unimproved to the annual value system of rating, and the other, in the name of Councillor H. D Bennett, asking, for still further investi gation into the whole question of better access to the western suburbs. Town planning has not begun to be discussed, though it was one of the main planks of Mr. Norwood's platform; the tepid baths argument is far from ended, and the second tunnel through Mount Victoria is not begun. When all those comparative trifles arc moved t6 one side there will remain the negotiations between the council and the Harbour Board —and already those negotiations are showing signs of age—as to the compensation to be paid in respect of Thorndon Esplanade and its possible balancing off by the granting toy the board of sufficient space for bathing and other facilities at the head of Evans Bay. On the face of it that list is sufficient for the rest of the year, probably sufficient to carry over also into the life of the new council to be elected in 1927.