HEALTHY STATE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19335, 27 May 1937, Page 16

HEALTHY STATE

WAIROA COUNTY FINANCE 1 CHAIRM AX RE - ELECTED (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA. this (lay. ' The sound position of the finances was outlined in the report made by Or. A. <!. Nolan, chairman, at the annual meeting of the Wairoa County Council yesterday. "The accounts for the past year show that the council's 'financial position has been considerably strengthened," be said. The credit balance of the county fund account on March 31. 1937. stood at C 12.383 as against £3855 on March 31, 1936. This is the healthiest state the accounts have been in during my term as chairman and 1 take the opportunity of congratulating the council in achieving such a sound position of affairs. Of the credit balance on .March 31 last. £6962 is available for general county purposes, and the balance of £5420 represents credit balances of separate accounts (kind fund, bridge fund, etc.|, which can only lie used for the purposes of these accounts.

"Factors which contributed to the improvement of the position during the year were: ■•-II). A much better rate collection for the period ; (2) a favourable, season during ' which no serious floods were experienced and 'consequently the council was not called updn to meet any heavy expenditure in repairing Hood damage to roads and bridges. "As the council will ne called upon during the current year to provide for additions to machinery anil plant to cope with road maintenance problems caused by thr, large volume of traffic which the county roads are at present being called upon to carry, the credit balance cannot be considered unduly large.

'The total receipts for the past year from all sources amounted to £67.078, as compared with £67,29,1 for the previous year.

"The county engineer, Mr. A. G. Smith, will retire on superannuation as from July 5 next and 1 take this opportunity of expressing the council's appreciation of his faithful and valuable services over 26 vears."

Councillors, (lie staff and the press were also thanked.

Cr. Carroll proposed, and Cr. Dickh seconded, that Cr. Nolan should be re elected chairman, both paying tributes to his work. There being no other nominations Cr. Nolan was declared elected.

The chairman made a brief reply, thanking the councillors for his election and stating that the good position was due to the office staff and the co-opera-tion of the council. The finance and works committees were elected as before, as was also the rating committee. Crs. flail and Carroll.