AMALGAMATION PROCEDURE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 264, 27 July 1918, Page 7

AMALGAMATION PROCEDURE

'' UNIFICATION OF BOROUGHS. A correspondent ("Suburban Batepayer"), writes to. know if, in the case . of-an' amalgamation-.between tho City of "Wellington aiid .boroughs—(l) a poll is necessary in tho city, and (2).' polls ..are necessary in the boroughs affected. As at the present juiieturo the question of amalgamation. is- of general interest it will - be of value to explain the situation. Itatefayera may not know that the act of amalgamation between two or more boroughs (and Wellington City is legiiP" ]y a borough) wipes out both the old boroughs and automatically forms a new one. It is also not generalh - known that amalgamations are not mnerally brought about or prevented by the finan- ■ cial position of one, -both, or all bodies concerned. Unity of interest is the basic jirineilile of amalgamation.* It often happens that opposition to an amjUga- , ■ mat'ion is likely to arise through 'the financial obligations of one of the bodies ■ ■ being deemed to be excessive, and that • opposition is on occasions met by a body agreeing to become specially rated for a .specified purpose, in which case a. • special Act is required to be passed by Parliament. -.The questions asked by our correspondent are best dealt with by nuoting..the- sections...in...the Municipal Corporations Act, 1903, having reference. ■ r to' (ho - Ynii<jn' of 'boi'o'iiglis.- - .Section: 120. pays:—'"Any; two or-more boroushs-fonn--iug'one continuous area may be-consti-tuted one united borough in the manner following—(a) A poll of the electors of. at least one of such boroughs shall be i • taken on the proposal that such bor- • oughs be constituted cue.borough. (b> The poll may bo taken in pursuance ot a special order ■of ■ the. council of such borough, and shall be taken within thirty days after presentation to tho • council of a request in' writing that a ■noil be taken, signed, by not less than ten per centum of the electors ot such borough. ;(c) If the. result of the poll i* in' favour of the ( proposal, but not otherwise, a petition under the/common of the corporation, ?haU withiis - thirty days after (lie taking ot the poll be presented to Ihe Governor bv the council of the borough ill which tlm poll was taken, praying that such boroughs be constituted one-.muted borough, (d) If tho council of each ot the other boroughs concerned also :pre?ents to the Governor a similar petition .. . . tie Governor may,, by proclamation consli- ' tuite such boroughs one, borough, by such name as- is assigned thereto bj. si.ch , proclamation, and such several, boroughs shall thereupon become and be such one borough accordingly, under this Act. Section 122 of the same Act says:"The Mayor of the borough | largest population : shall be the first . .-Jlu'vot of-the united borough and shall . continue in office, until the coming.l,o office of the- first elected Mayoi of the united borough, and.the other * Mavors -shall be councillor councillors . of the united borough, and he .01, t.iey and the councillors of the seveial bo - mi'dis shall until the first biennial elec- . ion of councillors after the said m. on 1 e and contimw to be. the. -duly const - ' tuted the. said - mil bm ou„K irrosnective of'the number ot si'xh conn cillors, and notwithstanding such ninn- . ber may exceed that. allowed by Ifcw AC Tt will be seen from the clause last rraolcd why the Mayor of AVellington, in rcfrrrL recently to amalgamation suggested that if such a proiw^l. were to . be carried out it .would bo advisable to make.-arrangements to carry the in(o ell'ect towards the close ot the p.c • pent municipal year, so that the might not be overweighted wlliM.» cess of members for any lengtu ot time, ns would be the c;v?e if the Boroughs of Onslow, Miramar, and lutrori were to come into (he city at (he same time.