CITY FINANCES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 228, 23 June 1944, Page 4

CITY FINANCES

General Rate Unaltered; More For Committees REVIEW BY MAYOR Features of the explanatory address on the 1944-45 financial. year estimates given by the mayor, Mr. Appleton, to the Wellington City Council yesterday were no increase in the general rate and increased allocations to spending committees.

The mayor said.the only rate increase was that levied on local bodies by the Wellington Hospital Board. The public was now well aware that the council could not control this; it was inertly a collecting agency for the board. Generally speaking, spending committees’ allocations were up 5 per cent, on the past year’s actual expenditure. Various economies which would not affect present services, closer budgeting, and non-recurring items, such as the E.P.S., made these increases possible. Rehabilitation funds set aside to overtake maintenance arrears as men and materials became available had not been encroached upon, but actually increased by £4°°O- . . M , Allocations to assist various worthy objects had been increased by three —the YW.C.A. Gaiety Club (£5O), Social Club for the Blind (£10). Red Cross building fund (£4O). The Free Ambulance grant was £5OO, with a recommendation that the trading departments—electricity, tramways, and milk —each contribute £5O to the ambulance. Similarly it was recommended by the estimates committee that the electricity and tramways departments each contribute £25 to the Y.W.C.A. Gaiety Club. This club was run for women, and the council, as a big employer of them, particularly in the electricity and tramways departments, would be showing its interest in promoting such an activity. Further, the council’s trading departments -would be following the example of private trading concerns which supported worth-while public objects. The reserves committee had a greater proportion of the total allocation than last year. The objective was to assist in rehabilitating reserves, an example being the proposed top-dressing of that part of Kilbirnie Reserve alongside the nurses’ hostel. Provision was made to augment the water supply by a plant to pump water from Silverstream (Karori) to the Karori reservoir. This would safeguard against drought and help augment the supply till the major scheme got under way. There had been commendable give-and-take by the chairmen of the spending committees who formed the estimates committee, said the mayor. £2500 For Patriotic Funds.

The council approved the estimates and also the recommendations that the trading committees make the extra grants mentioned. It was also decided that the council contribute £lOOO from the general account to the patriotic fund, this to be augmented by £5OO each from the tramways, electricity and milk The schedule showed estimated receipts £887,120. Estimated payments are £291,200 (committee votes) and £595,920 (payments controlled by estimates committee). The latter comprise largely regular set payments such as interest and sinking fund (£286,664), hospital board levy (£152,075). Included also is £7OOO election and polls expenditure. Allocations to committees are: —Works, £190,900; airport, £4150: by-laws (traffic), £15,500; health. £7950: reserves, £41.596 (general and special, £27,040, children’s play areas, £1520, beaches £2698, baths £2500, zoo £7838); libraries, £22,764; cemeteries, £8340.