HASTINGS BOROUGH RATES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 149, 13 June 1930, Page 9

HASTINGS BOROUGH RATES

WHY INCREASE NECESSARY. MAYOR EXPLAINS POSITION. "I would remind you that the council went very carefully into the whole matter, and after taking everything into consideration could only reduce the proposed expenditure on the general account by £465,” said the Mayor (Mr. G. F. Roach last evening in a statement referring to the Borough Council’s confirmation of the minutes of a recent special meeting held to consider tho estimates for the current year. "The credit balance we have to start the year with is £3OOO, against some £BOOO in April last year when the water loan repaid advances made in the previous year. To this £BOOO we transferred £4OOO from the theatre account and expended £7OOO on road construction. . COMMITMENTS MADE. "With the exception of £5O this year, we have no loan moneys that can be transferred to the general account, and we have to find an additional £9OO towards the cost of land purchased in Karamu road, and as you know we have made arrangements to purchase the King’s Theatre sections bringing the total amount in this connection to £1583 this year. "Then we have promised to contribute up to £5OO towards the extension of the Women’s Rest building, and a small sum has been placed on the estimates in connection with ths pi'oposcd extension of Burnett street, and approximately £5OO to pay as our share of the surfacing of tho Pakowhai and Maraekakaho roads. » “In addition we are committed to find half the cost of the new bridge over tho Southland road drain. We have also provided £1454 for footpaths, roads, and culverting portion of the Nelson street drain. INCREASED RATES UNAVOIDABLE. "You will remember that the question of endeavouring to keep the rates down to the previous year’s totals was fully discussed, but having regard to the fact that the Harbour Hoard has levied a rate this year, the total would have to be increased by that amount, and after careful consideration it was felt that the estimates, as amended by the reduction of £465, should stand, which will necessitate an increase of slightly under |d in the general rate, leaving an estimated debit at the end of March, 193], of £653. "It is more than probable that the receipts on the whole will exceed our expectations, and if the expenditure is kept within reasonable limits of the amounts provided, we should finish up on the right side. ’ No transfers from other accounts have been provided for. hut should the necessity arise, probably the theatre account will be in a position to assist again. “T think I am right in saying that there is probably no other borough in New Zealand with streets, footpaths, and other amenities snob as onrs. which is rated as low as Hastings.”