HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 15 July 1912, Page 5

HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL

THE FINANCIAL POSITION

( A special sheeting of the Hawera County Council was held on Saturday for the purpose of considering the rating proposals for the current year. There were1 present: Messrs W! Goodland (chairman), \T. Duirs, J. Duiilop, T. Winks, J. 13. Murdoch, and C. Tarrant.

The Clerk had prepared a statement cf the financial position of the various ridings, all of which Mere shown to save debit balances on the year's working.

The Chairman said he had gone through fche balance-sheets and he could not see where the figures could be economised. Every year the expenditure on the roads was increasing, and would continue to increase.

After a general discussion, Mr Murdoch said that as far as the expenditure of the Hawera riding was concerned, it would seem that the riding would need to strike a rate of lfd in the £ for tne ensuing year. The Chairman: That is what I have worked it out at.

The Clerk's statement showed that for the year ended March. L 912, there was a debit balance of £4244 3s 9d. The estimate of receipts and expenditure for the year ended March, 1913, after allowing for a ljd rate, would result in a debit balance of £4739 3s 9d. Cr. Murdoch pointed out that some ot the proposed expenditure would not be recurring, sue \ As £450 for new offices and £1700 afcerest and sinking -■and .He considered that a IJd rate would have to be struck. This would bring m £5642, and would assist to reduce the overdraft in the riding. He moved that a 1-Jd rate be struck "It's a big sum " added Cr. Murdoch, "but it 1S nS c £V ly- hkely thin * we can do." lheChsinn»n seconded the motion. He admitted that it went Against his giam to do it, but there was no help

The Chairman: Well, move that U: Tarrant (smiling): Oh, no. ihe motion was carried ~ Wi^V eference to the Mokoia riding the statement of accounts showed that ™- s a debit bala"ce of In ?!' c e.stmiate for the current year after allowing for a IJd rate gave fl debit balance of £2593 2a ' , °r- J? UAon^ ook excePtion to the large nnn^°M 3o° Set down for «PenditnVe or the lUeremere road du^to £ 6150. W3S mhs«*™*J ™- vMU'J^*? f id "\ the past the Mokoia nding had always been able to do with wm^l'l ' + i^ nd he tlloUSto a ljd' rate won Id do tins year. Some of the councillors contended ■It , c nchn S could not possibly do with less than a l|d rate Cr. Duirs: That's a lot of'money. He added that the rate would have to be sufficent to meet the expenditure Subsequently Cr. Dnirs said it' was apparent that the riding could not do nth less than l Jd and although he did mii^e1 t S^J ™ld — that whth^TarrFS o^^ *» The statement of accounts for the Ararata ndmg showed there was a debit balance last year of £2423 10s 8d me estimates for the year ended March 31 1913, showed that, after allowing a Id rate, there would be a debit balance of £4433 10s Bd. After a discussion Cr Tarrant said there was no getting out of it and he WO»W oropose that the rate be l|d. br Winks seconded th» motion, and it wai carried.

The clerk showed that there was a debit balance of £65 10s 5d for the yea/ ended March 31, 1912. The estimates tor the current year showed that after allowing a Id rate, there would be a debit balance of £1050 Ms SQ. Cr Durilon considered that » Id rate would see the riding through, but the other councillors did not think so. Eventually he moved that the rate be lid.

The chairman seconded the motion, pro forma.

Cr Tarrant moved an amendment that the rate be l^d.

Cr Murdoch seconds

Subsequently Cr Dunlop withdrew his motion in favor of the amendment, althoueh he still thought the lesser rate would be sufficient.

In the course of the discussion Cr Dunlon complained of the way in which his riding was saddled with over-ex-penditure monies.

The clerk said he was going throucrh the whole position, and he "would be able to give an exact statement in a few weeks, when, if necessary, a re-adjust-ment could be made.

The chairman said if it was showi that Hawera riding had to bear tfie burden it_ would face the music and would do it willingly and not crumble. However, he was of th© opinion that it would be better to have a competent accountant to go through the whole of the county books and tr> finally solve the financial trouble. He did not say that the clerk was not-competent, but he had his hands fully occupied with other work.

The miestion of the readjustment of tVia ridings also cropped un, and it was <Tpnerallv agreed that this matter w^ilrl have to be dealt with shortly.

This was the principal business