ANOMALIES IN RATING

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1933, Page 3

ANOMALIES IN RATING

PERCENTAGE REDUCTION PLAN HAWERA CONFERENCE APPROVES. Anomalies in rating caused by individuals securing private revaluations were discused at a conference of contributmg bodies in the Hawera hopital district at Hawera yesterday and it was decided to apply for a new valuation of the whole district uniA>rmly 25 per cent, below the last general revaluation of each local body. 'ine conference was the result of a movement by the Eltham County Council to have such uniform reduction made in that county. ‘This application was refused since it would result in the Eltham county getting a substantial reduction in hospital levy at the expense of other contributing authorities. The following resolution was carried by the conference: “That this meeting urges upon the Government the necessity of making a general reduction of 25 per cent, on the capital value of all land in the Hawera hospital district on the basis of the last general revaluation and requests that this reduction be put into effect as from April 1, 1933.” The Hawera, Eltham and Waimate West counties were last valued in 1926 with the exception of Kaponga, a portion of the Eltham county which was revalued in 1922. >The Hawera borough was revalued in 1922 and is in the process of revaluation at present The Eltham borough was revalued in 1924 and the Manaia town district in 1928.

Mr. A. L; Campbell (Eltham county) was voted to the chair. Outlining the reasons for the conference Mr. Campbell said the Eltham county tried to get a percentage reduction in'valuation. Finally the Valuation Department said .it could not be done unless all the local bodies in the Hawera hospital district were in agreement. At the last valuation of the Eltham county the council protested that all bodies in the hospital district should be re-valued at the same time.

Mr. Campbell said that since the last general revaluations many men had secured private revaluations since 1926 there had been a number of valuations in the Eltham county reduced by from 5| to 87- per cent His council’s idea was that the reduction should be made from the 1926 valuation. In one case a farm valued in 1926 £lOOO was reduced to £2OO and Mr. Campbell suggested that the 25 per cent reduction should be on £lOOO. /

Mr. L. C. Harrison pointed out that Manaia had its last revaluation in 1928. Mr. Campbell said that he meant using the last valuation, which in Manaia’s case was 1928.

Mr. Campbell pointed out that the percentage reduction would not involve the local bodies’ in any great expense. The object was to remove the anomalies caused by independent private revaluations. • ' ‘ ’ COST OF ALTERING ROLLS. Mr. J. W. Harding, clerk to the Hawera County Council, said, the scheme could not be put into operation without any amendment to the Act unless it was done by the department There would still be a cost to the local bodies as there would be considerable work in the alteration of all the rolls. The services of the valuer to do the revision would have to be paid for, ' . Mr. E. A. Pacey said the Hawera borough was already getting its valuation. . •

Mr. J. B. Murdoch said the reduction in. the case of the Hawera borough might be 35 per cent ’ „ , Mi*. Harding said the Hawera county reduction in valuation in 1926 , was 18 percent. ./ , The average reduction in the. case of 43 ratepayers in. the Eltham borough'was 25 per cent; stated Mr. ’ 1., J. Bridger. If any one local body had its valuation reduced it would be unfair to the; other bodies in the hospital district Mr. Murdoch said it was unfair for some ratepayers to have private revaluations. In an adjoining county he understood the position was made serious. Private revaluations in Hawera would average 25 per cent The scheme was trying to bring all ratepayers on to a fair basis. The total rates would, of course, be the same. “Why should one man benefit at the expense of another?” asked Mr. Long, who said the proposal was aiming at equality. Mr. Harrison suggested an adjournment until the conclusion of the Hawera valuation. This might be different from 25 per cent. Mr. Murdoch said that before agreeing to the suggestion the department ’ might wait until the Hawera borough revaluation was completed. Mr. Campbell said that in cases of. reductions of over 25 per cent already made the valuer would have to be called on to deal with objections that would be ’made. ■- - ’'■ \' ' /

Messrs. Murdoch and Long were instructed to act as a deputation to further the resolution, . Those present were Messrs. A. L. Campbell (Eltham county), J. B. Murdoch, E. A. Washer (Hawera county), F. Mourie and E. Long (Waimate West county), I. J. Bridger (Eltham borough), E. A. Pacey (Hawera borough) and L. C. Harrison (Manaia town district).