BOROUGH FINANCE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4964, 21 April 1926, Page 3

BOROUGH FINANCE.

KATES TOTAL SEVENPENCE IN £. THREE FARTHINGS. At last Thursday’s meeting of the ». Paeroa Borough Council the following report w,as submitted by the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall) “The’balance-sheejt and 1 rate statement is before you to-night, and we recommend its '.adoption subject to audit.. “The town clerk is to be congratulated on having this work completed in the remarkably early manner which is, his custom. This h'as necessitated much night work for him and < his assistant, and we wish to record our appreciation of their efforts:. .. x “The b.ala.nce-sheet, generally, disa very satisfactory credit balance in every account, namely : General account, £772 9s .■ lid; street lighting account, £62 5s ; water acB count, £llll 'ss. 4'd ; hospital account, £6 9s lOd; sewerage loan interest account, £797 6s, 6d; street improveloan account, interest, £lB2 8s 8d ; domain loan improvements interest account, £59 Is 8d; financial* adjustment loan interest account £24 Os 6d. “This is, exceedingly- satisfactory, x particularly the' generaj account, . where every passible effort has been ' made to study'economy* The purpose of keeping credits; in the loan interaccounts is in order to be able to fneet heavy interest instalments falling due in the first few months df the financial year. “There is again one unsatisfactory .feature, namely, the amount of outstanding rates, which sta,nd, at £2646 7s Id,- as compared with £2728 15s 2d for the previous year. Of the amount £lB3 6s lOd is native, and] probably un- - collectable, making a collectable total outstanding of £2563 Os 3d. “The determination of the council fcoreduce this; amouiit as expressed' a/ «ear ago has produced no result whai?ver, but the estimates for the ensuing year have been compiled with allowance made for. a reduction of at least 20 per cent., and it is; to be hoped that this will be accomplished. "The Ngahiha wharf account indithat in addition to the big advantage of low charges;' there is a reasonable margin of financial benefit to the ratepayers of .the Paeroa bor- ■> ough. Alfter paying all preliminary expenses which ‘will not recur, there ■ is a surplus of approximately £lO5, to which should be added the dues for last month, which were hot to hand on the 31st inst. With these '. there is a credit of approximately £l5O for the year. 4 The sanitary service has been conducted for the year at a loss of approximately £so', which, under the • circumstances, is satisfactory, .eing a smaller lose: than-- was estimated by £so.' It will be • necessary, however, ’fjfc the account to be. closely watched during the ensuing year as the transition period is now in 'full! swing. “Licenses, including heavy traffic and drivers’ licenses under the. Motor Vehicles Act, show an increase of £45 2s S(L " “The shortage in the .domain account has been reduced by £ll 5s lid compared with .the previous year. Aj “We recommend that the .sum of -£BOO be transferred from .the surplus ’ - in the wafer account to the genera,! v account. V “We recommend that notice of intention to strike and collect the fol- ' lowing rates be made and given: Gen- ‘ ' er al rate of 2%d; sewerage loan interest ra.te of. 2%d ; street improves 'meats loan interejst rate of %d; street lighting rate of %d ; hospital and charitable aid rate of %d; total, 7d. “The hospital- levy is; .to be increased thsi ensuring year, and the papt year has seen considerable expnditure moneys' 6n various works in the borough, but in spite of all. this the total rates suggested show a re-,, duction of %d in the £, .Which is made possible by a, reduction of % ot a penny in the genera,! rate which has < remained at 3%d for -the last five years.” The report was adopted.