WANGANUI COUNTY RATE MAY BE LOWER FOR CURRENT YEAR

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 May 1947, Page 6

WANGANUI COUNTY RATE MAY BE LOWER FOR CURRENT YEAR

LOWER HOSPITAL LEVY A reduction of l-8d in the £ in the total rate to be struck by the Wanganui County Council for all purposes during the current financial year was envisaged by the chairman, referring in his annual report, adopted at the meeting yesterday, to the estimates for 1947-48. Details of the proposed rates, yet to be struck, are: — A general rate of l<d in the £—the same as last year. Wanganui Hospital Board’s levy to be reduced to id in the £—representing a reduction of 3-16 d. Consolidated special rate to be 3-16 d in the £. Rangitikei Catchment Board rate of l-24d over a special rating area—a reduction of l-48d in the £. Wanganui Harbour Board rate of id over a special rauhg area. Mangamahu Hall rate of £d in the £ over a special rating area. “This will mean a reduction of 2-16 d or l-8d in the £ over the whole of the county, while that part of the county in the Rangitikei Catchment Board s area will also have a further reduction of l-48d in the £,” the chairman stated. COUNTY FINANCES. Referring to the council’s financial position, the chairman stated that the year ended March 31, last, started with a credit in the general account of £ll2O and closed with a credit of £1854 after £lOOO had been transferred to the plant replacement account. The council arso paid for a new grader out of the general account. “The plant replacement account now stands at £4748, out of which it is proposed to pay for a nc<v truck, the council has ordered,” the chairman added. Receipts for the year over all accounts totalled £45,560, ad payments £44,173. The amounts spent on road works during the year with percentage to total expenditure, in that order, were:— District roads, £12,104, 27.4; road grants, £2,997, 6.8; main highways, £4975, 11.3; river road, £9ll, 2.1} plant repels, and running expenses, £2907, 6.6; totals, £23,894, 54.2. Other payments (compiled on the same basis) were:—Administration, £3lOO, 7.0; purchase of plant, £1062, 2.4; transfer to plant account, £lOOO, 22, cottages and county buildings, £663, 1.5; tree planting, £623, 1.4; Hospital Board, £7686, 17.4; Harbour Board £3254, 7s 4d; Catchment Board, £307, .7; interest and sinking fund ana loan, £2584, 5.8. MAIN HIGHWAY COSTS. The amount spent on main highways last year was £5885, but the estimated expenditure for maintenance, additional sealing, improvements to the Airport Road corner and the Riverbank highway this year is £14,100, an increase of £8214 on last year’s expenditure. The amount expended on district roads and bridges, was £12,105, plus £2439 on the Otaranoho Road, and £558 on the Mangahowhi Road making a total of £15,102,” the chairman added. “The amount allowed in the estimates was £18,025 which means this vote was underspent to the extent of £2923. The principal item accounting for this was the Otaranoho Road grant which was not completed by the end of the year, the amount yet to be expended being £2361. “Provision is made in this year’s estimates for £15,645 to be available for roadworks, which includes the metalling of the Otaranoho Road and the sealing of one mile of the Mangamahu Road.”

Provisional consideration was given to the estimates at the monthly meeting yesterday, but they will not be finally decided on till the June meeting.