CITY COUNCIL RATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15951, 23 June 1915, Page 5

CITY COUNCIL RATES.

MAYOR EXPLAINS FINANCES.

HIGHER DRAINAGE LEVY.

A statement in regard to the- policy of the City Council, as disclosed by the decision's arrived at in the consideration on Monday of the estimates of receipts and expenditure for the current year, was made by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunsou, yesterday.

"The new council," said Mr. Gunson. " was faced with a debit balance o! £20,000, on the general account, when its financial year closed on March 31, and this deficiency was carried forward to the) current year. The Finance and Legal Committee thought that at a time like this it was its duty to provide all the money possible to keep the council staff engaged on profitable and necessary works. It, therefore, in its estimate* now adopted, mado such provision as would carry forward a debit balance to March 31, 1916, of £20,000. In other words, the whole of the city's revenue this year—which will probably be greater than at any previous periodwill be appropriated for general maintenance and works.

"The rates have not been increased, with the exception of sanitation demands. For the first two years, interest on drain-, age' works was paid out of loans. In accordance with the Act interest has now to be paid by the contributing bodies, and the annual levy made upon the respective! bodies has been increased accordingly. This raises the City Council's annual contribution to £13,000. We are, therefore, under the necessity of meeting, this increase by an increased rate. The additional levy would represent a, rate of 2d in the £, but, in order to ease the position somewhat, the council is bearing a portion ' of the burden, and the ratepayers will only have to pay an increase of L}d in the £.'" Referring to' the fact that the money for certain improvement works had not been authorised, the Mayor remarked that adequate sums for maintenance had been allowed in respect of all park properties, as it was felt that it was the duty of the council to keep them in first-class order. \ Provision was being made in the Pamell \ Park for a certain amount of necessary improvement work..