BOROUGH VALUATIONS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 235, 8 November 1940, Page 5

BOROUGH VALUATIONS

•»" ; SOME WIDE VARIATIONS NEED FOR FAIRER BASIS ! A ratepayer complained to the Editor of the Beacon yesterday that the rates in the Borough presented an insolvable problem in the manner of arriving at the basis of valuation. Small sections, it was claimed were loaded with what appeared to be an unnecessarily high rate, while others not far removed were rated at a third the amount though the areas were much greater. The BEACON was asked to draw attention to this state of affairs in order to gain if possible some explanation. In one street a small building site .of less than a quarter acre was rated to the extent of £11 per year, while in another part an area of over half an acre was rated at only £3. It was understood by the complainant that position counted to some extent in arriving at the rateable value, but the variation appeared to be altogether too great and tllie suggestion was that the time was more than ripe for a complete revaluation of the Borough, which would bring the basis of rating more into line with modern, conditions and less in agreement with that period when the present valuations were first imposed.

AN EXPLANATION INTERVIEW WITH MAYOR The above when referred to thfc j Mayor, Mr B. S. Barry, brought the] explanation that the Borough Council was fully conversant with the inequity of, the position. The question of fixing the rates however is governed, entirely by the valuations fixed by the Government, and the Council has no sav whatever in the apportionment. All it is concerned with is the levying of tjie rates in accordance with the official valuation. As far back as 1937 the Council with a full knowledge of the disparity and an honest desire to put tlje valuations on a fairer basis applied for a re-valuation. This was carried out . by the Department's officer resident at Rotorua, but very little improvement took place with the result that the position has remained unsatisfactory. Mr Barry pointed out that the Strand was heavily overloaded,, carry ing approximately 40 per cent of the rates in a limited area north of the Rock., It was with a view to overcoming this that the application was made. It is unfortunate that local knowledge is not permitted to enter into the allocation of rating liability, and in view of past experience the Council doetf" not consider that anything further will be gained by a further effort to get a new valuation."