CITY RATING ISSUE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 269, 14 November 1945, Page 4

CITY RATING ISSUE

OBJECTIONS TO PUBLIC MEETING COUNCILLORS' DIVIDED A motion moved by Cr. E. W. Merewether, seconded by 'Cr. W. S. N. Rennie, that the Mayor, Hon. W. J. Rogers, be asked to call a public meeting so that questions pertaining to the city’s finances and rating system could be discussed was lost by seven votes to four after a debate in the last stages of the Wanganui City Council's monthly meeting last night. The motion was put at 12.17 a.m., after a meeting lasting nearly five hours.

The Mayor. Hon. W. J. Rogers, said he had no objection to calling a public meeting and putting all the facts before the citizens, but anything decided on would have to be tive of the people. The 'Wanganui Electors’ Association held a meeting recently to discuss this question, as was its right, but only 16 or 17 were present.

There were three voting systems, capital, annual or rental value, and unimproved value, but it was difficult to know which one should be adopted. The ratepayers, however, had the right to change the system by vote. The Mayor stressed, also, that onethird of the rates collected by the City Council went to the Wanganui Hospital and Harbour Boards. “What are we to put before the ratepayers?" he asked. “I take it that I can only say what is very clearly stated every year by our city treasurer.” The Mayor also asked if such a meeting would help Wahganui from the point of view of publicity. Cr. S. J. Harris said it would be very difficult to get a meeting fully representative of ratepayers and the people of Wanganui. The council, after all, consisted of the elected representatives of the people. Should its powers be delegated to anybody else?

Cr. Merewether: We have not proved ourselves capable. Cr. Harris: If the people are not satisfied let them make a protest. The main question affecting the city was the incidence of rating, said Cr. Rennie. He believed that something would have to be done in the interest ot the city’s progress. The council was entitled to invite opinions from citizens on such an important question ns this. For years far-seeing people had held that Wanganui would have to find a solution for its own peculiar .problems. “We shodld invite rhe best brains in the community to assist us," Cr. Rennie added. Cr. T. N. Dickson said there was merit in the motion, but he did not feel that the council should delegate its authority to a public meeting.

Cr. Merewether: We won’t do that. The position would be adequately met if the council invited representative citizens to make submissions on the rating question, said Mr. Dickson, moving an amendment along these lines.

Cr. Donaldson said he was concerned with the position, but he thought this was a question for a special meeting of the council. “We have got to tackle the problem ourselves and try and find some way out, but I don’t like the idea of a public meeting," Cr. Donaldson added. The best brains of the Dominion could not solve this problem, said the Mayor. The Municipal Association had been discussing it for years, but had got nowhere. There were only three systems of rating. One or the other had to be adopted by municipalities. After all, said the Mayor, the purchaser of goods paid the rates in the citv area. Cr. J. C. Batt said that a public meeting may be “swamped" by people with fixed ideas on rating who would carry resolutions. One of the problems was the fact that some people were exercising their rights and having their property revalued, said Cr. Hawkins. He added that when these rates were reduced as a result of new valuations the rates paid by other properties must increase correspondingly. “I cannot see the value of a public meeting, but I agree with Cr. Donaldson that the council should go into this question," said Cr. Hawkins. Cr. R. P. Andrews said that even If a public meeting were held and a change in the rating system advocated the issue would have to be put to the ratepayers as a whole. The public had no opportunity of expressing opinions at a special meeting of the council, said Cr. Rennie. "We want them to express their views on this Question,” he added.

Cr. Merewether said he was concerned with the well being of Wanganui and inspired by this motive had made his suggestion regarding the public meeting. The council, however, had not handled the position properly. “If you had handled the position properly yc?u would never have had 1o raise a penny for the Gas Works, for example." said Cr. Merewether. Cr. Batt: What do you mean by “you”? We were not here. Cr. Merewether said the council had done nothing to rectify the trouble. Cr. Dickson’s amendment lapsed for want of a seconder and on the issue being put, Cr. Merewether’s motion was lost by seven votes to four. Against the motion were the Mayor, and Crs. G. P. Hawkins. S. J. Harris, R. P. Andrews. J. C. Batt, T. H. Dickson and A. R. Donaldson. For the motion were Crs. Merewether, Rennie, C. S. Smith and A. J. Pritchard. Absent were Crs. T. S. Russell and J. F. Broad.