AUCKLAND'S RATES

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 133, 7 June 1935, Page 10

AUCKLAND'S RATES

SAME AS LAST YEAR

ESTIMATED DEBIT BALANCE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This .Day. The Auckland City rates for the year 1934-35 will remain. the: same as for the financial year just ■ closed, the total being 3s lid in the £. >

In submitting ;the estimates, the Mayor, Mr. Ernest Davis; said that the present council began with a net debit balance of £29,598. He anticipated, after making as reasonable.a provision for expenditure as circumstances would permit, that the rating year would close with a net debit of £ 26,967. He submitted that this was as much as the council could reasonably be expected to undertake, the only alternative to provide a balanced budget being an increase in the rates or the cutting of expenditure to the detriment of municipal services. The accounts were satisfactory from a revenue viewpoint, and the financial stability of the city was also satisfactory. Unless councillors wished to increase the rates they should adopt the estimates in toto. He : had gone as far as he prudently could, arid the council must bear the responsibility for any increases.

■•■ Referring to rate arrears, which amounted on March 31 last to £139,422, or 29 per cent, of the amount derivable from a full year's rating, the Mayor said that ■ the matter must be faced, either by the extremely unpleasant method of enforcing payment or by writing them off as irrecoverable.

After brief discussion the estimates were adopted in toto, except for an amendment to restore all salary cuts to employees receiving up to £ 300. This will cost about £11,700.