YEAR’S FINANCES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18539, 9 April 1930, Page 7

YEAR’S FINANCES.

MACKENZIE COUNTY’S POSITION. In a yearly resume of the Council s financial position, the chairman of the Mackenzie County Council (Mr C. .J Talbot), stated at Monday’s meeting that the position of the county funcs for the year ended March 31, 1930. could be taken as very satisfactory. Each of the riding accounts was in credit, their collective balances amounting to £3274, an increase on the year’s working. Although the rates collected fell short of last year’s total by £468, rents by £IOO, and heavy traffic fees by £93 making a total of £668 less receipts and also despite the fact that the county purchased and paid for a £IOOO worth of plant, their total credit balance for the year had increased by £l6O, and now stood at £7162. The county could thus feel assured thai the Council’s policy was a sound one. and that any changes which had been made during the year had been of advantage to the working of the county. The finances of the riding were dependent largely on the main highways in the riding, and the location of flood damage. Opuha riding liac? suffered worst in this respect, in that the bulk of the riding was without any declared main highway, and this area was subject to flood damage; the decrease in the riding’s credit from last year being due solely to this cause, as was also the case in the Albury riding. The chairman said that the position of the several riding accounts was as. follows, shillings and pence being omitted: —The Albury riding commenced with a credit of £270 and ended with a credit of £175; the total expenditure being £1645 (last year £1672); the Fairlie riding commenced the year with a credit balance of £1227 and ended with a credit of £1359, the total expenditure being £1772 (last year’s £1675); Opuha riding commenced with a credit of £331, and ended with a credit of £54, the total expenditure being £1393 (last year’s £937 1. Tekapo riding commenced the year with a credit balance of £I2OO and ended with a credit balance of £1684, the total expenditure being £1433 (last year’s £1101). In the general account receipts totalled £11928, and included rates £11175; subsidy £1729, licenses £1519, plant charges £3480. The expenditure amounted. tc £13658, the principal items being administration £684, office expenses £317, plant purchases £l7ll. hospital levy £2717, Harbour Board levy £1522. Interest on loans £378, transfers to separate accounts £4278, sundry expenditure £SOO. The land fund account commenced the year with a credit balance of £S6S. and ended with a credit balance of £I3BB, which under the Act, and with ihe consent of the Land Board, had been transferred to the general account. The Fairlie library account had this year required a grant of £lßl from the general account, the total expenditure for the year being £3OO. The planting account revenue for the year was £sll and the expenditure £354 leaving a credit balance at the end of the }ear of £348. In the main highway account the expenditure including charges for plant amounted to £8436. The sanitation account had improved its position from a debit balance of £lO6, to a debit balance of £lB. In the Fairlie water race account a debit was shown of £6l: the expenditure in this account would have to be curtailed if the account was to live within its revenue. The Fairlie improvement account showed an increase of £77, being interest on South Canterbury Power Board debentures for the year. Government grants totalling £985 were expended during the year. These included Mt. Gerald-Lil.vbank road £SOO, Clayton road £250, and four smaller amounts of £235. The sinking fund on the telephone loan accounts now amounted to £671. The total receipts for the year from all sources amounted to £23.987, and the total expenditure £23.890. A statement or balances showed a collective credit on all accounts of £7,162 9s Bd. The chairman complimented the office staff lor the promptitude with which the balance sheet had been produced. The engineer 'Mr D. Jeune) was to be complimented on his administration.

Mr J. McCort stated that the chairman and the engineer were to be complimented on the sound financial position. It was generally expected, in view’ of the heavv flood damage, that the Council would end the year with n deficit, and it was gratifying to know that such was not the case. The engineer had been very energetic, and worked on Ibe principle that anything was worth doing well. Mr T. Smith conveyed Albury ratepayers thanks for the good management of the finances.

Mr Buckley said that the appointim of Mr D. Jeune to dual control 1; vear had been proved to be a step the right direction.

Mr A F. Campbell said it appea: to him that money had been saved the Council doing their own shingl: in preference to contract work.