BOROUGH FINANCES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18900, 22 December 1923, Page 5

BOROUGH FINANCES

TAG ON BALANCE-SHEET SPECIAL MEETING HELD A special general meeting of the Wanganui Borough Council was held last evening to discuss the balance-sheet i which has been returned by the Auditor General with a tag upon it. There were present: Councillors J. C. Richardson (Deputy Mayor), Halligan, Green, Sharpe, Reardon, Spriggens, Burnett, Palmer Brown, Burgess. Luxford. The Deputy Mayor explained why tho special meeting had been called. Cr. Burgess moved that the Council should go into committee. In seconding tho motion, Cr. Luxford said it was a finarcial matter, and they might require to have a confidential talk in regard to various matters. Cr. Reardon said he hoped they would not go into committee. Before they did so there should be some reasons. Up to the present they had had no information.

Cr. Burnett said that Ihe time had arrived to be frank with the ratepayers, the position was. Cr. Burgess: That is absurd. The Deputy Mayor said it was not a question of being frank with the ratepayers. Personally he did not have any feeling in the matter. He would just as soon see it dealt with in open council as they had nothing to hide. There was the auditor’s report, but there was also an opinion from the borough solicitor and he did not think that all the councillors had heard it read. His suggestion was that the auditor’s report should be referred to the finance committee. Cr. Green contended that the matter should be first discussed in committee. When they resumed in open council tho whole thing come before the ratepayers and they would be fully advised. Cr. Palmer Brown said a meeting of ratepayers should be called to consider the balance-sheet when adopted as an annual event, but after reading the tag, if it were published in its present form, it would give a w r rong impression. He would prefer to see it discussed in committee first. Cr. Spriggeus considered that the ratepayers should have the fullest information as they would have to pay at the finish. There had been a rumour going round for days and “the dogs on the Rutland corner were barking what was wrong.” They ought to have it in open council, and lot the ratepayers have the fullest particulars otherwise they would be suspicious. Cr. Sharpe said that so far he knew practically nothing except what he had heard casually from some of the councillors. He wanted to know what the position was and as soon as they considered it in committee it could be brought into open council. Cr. Burgess said the ratepayers should have the right side put to them, and not one side of it. The public were entitled to the information but it should be correct. Cr. Burnett: That is what you will get in open council. It was decided by six votes to four to go into committee. On resuming in open Council it was reported that the matter had been referred to the finance committee for a report. Cr. Spriggens said there was a report, going round the town that the Council had spent £ll,OOO that it had no business to spend, and that was a statement that should be refuted. The Deputy-Mayor said it was unfair to spread that broadcast amongst the people in the street. Cr. Burgess said that seeing the Council had not departed from previous procedure there was nothing to say about the matter at present.