TAKAPUNA FINANCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20518, 20 March 1930, Page 14

TAKAPUNA FINANCES.

COUNCIL'S NARROW MARGIN.

RATES NOT TO BE INCREASED,

IMPORTANT WORK DEFERRED

Important financial problems were faced by the Takapuna Borough Council at.a special meeting last evening, in view of the nijar approach of a new municipal year, arc! the necessity for determining the basis upon which the work of the borough shall be carried out. lhe Mayor, Mr. J. N. Williamson, presided. The deputy-mayor, Mr. J. W. Hayden, referred to a number of requests for works and said the estimated cost of the applications already put fdrward was £11,760. Therefore it became necessary to determine which were the most urgent proposals and whether the borough rates were to be increased. If the rates remained the same only about £4OOO would be available for works after allowing for interest on loans, the charitable levy and other amounts which the council could not control, and the salaries of the staff. Mr. Hr-den said in view of this it would be impossible to undertake more than one or two of the most necessary works under consideration. It- would not be possible "to employ more than six men on maintenance works throughout the year. An outstanding matter that must be faced in' addition to ordinary maintenance was the re-coating with tar of the footpaths which were formed last winter out of the moneys raised to provide for the unemployed. That work would cost about £ISOO and was absolutely necessary. It was decided, in view of tho restricted amount available for borough expenditure in the coming financial year, to ask the Minister of Labour to indicate what steps are being taken to overcome the unemployment difficulty in the coming winter. It was. decided that the amount of the rate should not be increased. After consideration of the claims of

various works, it was decided that the re-

tarring of footpaths should be the prin- * cipal work for the year. Next in importance were considered to bp the concreting of the Devonport-Takapuna main

load at the boundary between tho two , borougliSj Walter's Hill, and tho improvement of the road on Sherriff's Hill, at the "VVailemata county boundary. With regard to Walter's Hill the council can- . not undertake the work this year.