The Hawera Star. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1933. HAWERA BOROUGH RATES.

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 29 September 1933, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1933. HAWERA BOROUGH RATES.

Delivered every' evening by 5 o clock in Hawera, Manaia, Kaupokonui, Otakeho Oeo, Pihama, Opunake, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Ngaere, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Te Kiri, Mahoe, Lowgarth, Manutahi, Kakaramea, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Whenuakura, Waverley, Mokoia, Wbakamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Road and Ararata.

Th'o Mayor’s intimation on Monday night .that a rate reduction would hot be .effected! this year .created no surprise among those iratepayers who have interested themselves in borough affairs. The possession by the last council of a surplus of £3OOO led to a discussi on of the possibility of rate reduction at the time of the last borough elections, but the works which have had to be undertaken since then have caused ratepayers as well as the councillors to revise their hopes in that direction. A cause of expenditure which was not anticipated by the incoming council is the sewerage system, which calls for immediate repairs to. a section of the pipe-line near the outfall. This work is estimated 1 to' cost £660 and the council has placed an additional £540 on the estimates in anticipation of additional) work being required during the year at the outfall: The new council has also found itself faced with the necessity of overtaking immediately arrears of maintenance work on some of its buildings. The revaluation recently made of the borough has not had the effect anticipated in some quarters', valuationis in the town area not being reduced to the- extent expected, while in the residental areas the reduction exceeded anticipations. This hais caused the council to- make preparation® for an increase in the rate in the £ .in order to produce an amount approximately equal to la'st year’s revenue. The broken period of interest payment arising out of the loan couverision 1 , while not adding to the actual amount to be paid, will add to the commitments for the current financial year. The 1 estimates provide for increased expenditure on bitumen. A portion of this, some £370, is accounted for by permanent road works in the Nolanfown area and the remainder by ordinary road and footpath maintenance, an item, upon which last year’s expenditure was much below the estimate. The Mayor has stated that while it would be possible to make a small reduction in the rate this year, it would not give appreciable relief to the individual ratepayer and would reduce the margin of soundness in l the year’s finances in the event of contingencies arising. The ratepayers will not be inclined to quarrel with the view that ih is better for the council to consolidate its position this year and place itself in a position to anticipate a reduction in the following twelve months, father than whittle down its resources now for the sake of a small immediate reduction to the individual ratepayer.