REVALUATION

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 40, 17 February 1933, Page 5

REVALUATION

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

CITY,; COUNCIL DECISION

The City Council last night, on the motion f©f the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop)', decided to ask the Valuation Department to carry out a general revaluation of the city, as soon as possible. There was a difference of opinion among councillors wliether lower valuations would mean lower rates. The Mayor said that the Valuation Department had advised the t Town Clerk that it was not certain at the moment if a revaluation could be made, next yeari The last general revaluation, in. 1929, had taken 21 months to complete, and had cost £1846: a revaluation could bow be carried out in 12 months at. a cost of £1250. Mr. Hislop moved that steps-should be taken to have a new; valuation made as soon as possible. Councillor F. Meadoweroft: When ■woidd it become operative? Mr. Hislop: Not nest year: not until 1934. . : , ; Councillor C. H. Chapman, seconded thta proposal. A general ' revaluation j ■vjas the only fair method, he said. I Those property owners vrho had secur- i ed individual revaluations were receiv- . ing benefits at;"the: * expense,of the rest, of.the ratepayers. . j ."":" '-..,■ ~ . ; REDUCTION IN RATES. . Councillor "WiAppleton also-spbke in - favour 'of,the' proposal, remarking that • revaluations in Sydney: and Melbourne had been reduced 20 per cent. It had /been said that revoluation made no : difference in the rates, but, in. fact, that was not so. No councillor would' voto to increase the rates, and on a lower valuation tho demands would be lower. Ho thought that Wellington should follow the lead given in Australia, where , revaluations were altered,from timo to time as street, works, transport develop- , ments, etc., dictated. The present method of revaluing^ at intervals of three or four years, was not scientific. Councillor T. IForsyth said he agreed . that a revaluation was advisable, but he. did not. agree that a reduction, in rates would follow. .There was a "great difference between "rate". and "rates," and the. only way in which rates could be reduced was to dismiss morevmen,-for-the greater part of the city's expenditure-was upon labour: ■It •was a simple thing to say >£hat the rates' must bo reduced, but unless the council ■was to go in 'for a policy 'of further retrenchment it could not bo done, and he, for one, was not going to agree to that: • • • DOWN TO A SOUND BASIS. Councillor H. x A. 'Huggins said he •would support the proposal. "Wellington should give a lesson ; to New Zealand, for the whole Dominion, town and country, was living, in a fool's paradise as regarded land values. 'What was the, good of swelling oneself out and say-1 ing'th'at'one owned a'£2o,ooo property; when it was really, worth only £10,000? It was essential to get down to a sensible idea. of Jand values..The Mayor-said that his idea was, .first, that they should get-down to a; sound basis,; and, secondly, that they j should place rating upon an equitable, footing, for a large number of property owners had obtained revaluations since the last general revaluation. Personally he. did not see how the council could lopk to a reduction in rates at'the present moment. It appeared that they would'have only about j £160.000 for necessary services next year and it was doubtful if they could, get through on £195,000 this year, or, rather,- whether they, would get in the full amount hoped for from the rates. Air.: Hislop, added that he thought it! ■would be a good-thing if the power of individuals to apply for new-valuations was withdrawn pending tho. general valuation. ~.... , ' ■■..?.■<■:'■;.