MAXIMUM RATE EXCEEDED IN CATCHMENT BOARD ESTIMATES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22617, 21 April 1948, Page 4

MAXIMUM RATE EXCEEDED IN CATCHMENT BOARD ESTIMATES

SUBSIDY TO BE SOUGHT

With an estimated expenditure of £9422 for the financial year 1948-49, the P.E. Catchment Board will depend for part of its funds upon a subsidy from the Soil Conservation and Kivers Control Council.

The maximum rate which the board may raise for administrative purposes is one-eighth of a penny in the rateable capital value of the district, representing £BIOO. That will be the rate struck fot the forthcoming year. Taking into account a credit of £422 from the last financial year and allowing for a small loss in collection of current rates, the board will have to approach the council for a grant of. £1153 10s. Last year's actual expenditure was C 6926, of which £2435 was expended in staff salaries paid to five employees of the board, and £1326 in purchases of motor vehicles, trom which £3OO was written off by way of depreciation. In the current year the board will have <o meet the salary of an assistant engineer, a clerk, and an overseer. Only half the assistant engineer's salary cost is likely to be incurred during the year, but the full cost of the overseer and the clerks' salaries are included in the estimates.

Metnbers of the board adopted the recommendation of the executive committee, tabled by the chairman, Mr. J. R. Hair, that both the engineer and the secretary needed assistance in view of the extent to which the work of the board has increased. The enthusiasm shown by Mr. A. D. Todd, the engineer, was stated to have involved him in hours of work extending far beyond normai, and even absorbing his weekends. "No man can be expected to work at the rate set by our engineer l for months," remarked Mr. G. M. Newman, seconding the chairman's morion to appoint the additional members of the staff. "The board is getting ;c he a pretty big institution." commented Mr. 11. J. F. Toinbleson. who regretted the substantial increase in outlay, but confessed that be could nee no help for it He prophesied that property value would go up in the near future, Mid that a one-eighth of a penny rate would produce considerably more than £BIOO in future years.