BLENHEIM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 207, 11 December 1869, Page 4

BLENHEIM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

We are enabled to publish the following Annual Statement and Accounts of the Corporation of Blenheim for the first finan cial year ended on the 13th November last, which have been prepared in anticipation of the Annual Meeting to be held on Wednesday next at noon, when the new Mayor will be elected. An examination of the accounts shows that the sum of £374 3s. has been collected, of which £303 19s. 2d. has been expended, leaving a balance of £7O 3s. lOd. in hand. The Assets are £lO4 19s. 10d., against which are Liabilities amounting to £74 los 2d., leaving a surplus revenue from last rate of £3O 4s. Bd., in lieu of being in debt. We feel that wo can congratulate tho Council on their first year’s service. The amount of work done to our lately fastdecaying streets is gratifying to the public, and deserves a grateful recognition from us on its behalf. No less than nine streets, exclusive of the Market Place, have been repaired or metalled, and we can have no hesitation in saying that the Council has done more towards the general improvement of the town than has ever been done in any previous year, which fact says much for our representatives. We used to hear it frequently remarked that the clumsiness and magnitude of the Act would make it difficult to understand and work, but wo do not find that this proved correct in practice, since not a shilling has been expended in legal advice in working it; the only two items appearing under this head being for a legal opinion relative to the appointment of Assessors before the Council met, and for defending appeals against rates, inclusive of witnesses’ expenses. Glancing over the several items we notice several which were necessary in initiating the Municipal Corporations Act, that will not be again required, and we trust that we may he enabled to speak in similar commendatory terms on the next and every succeeding annual occasion. "We rfo not believe in a cheese-paring economy, but a judicious and careful expenditure of public money will always commend itself to the general body of ratepayers.

Assessments for the year 1569. Dk. £ s. d. Total Assessments made, at 12d. in the pound, on an annual value of £8,079 403 19 0 £403 19 0 Ck. £ s. d. Rate collected ... ... ... 374 3 0 Rate uncollected ... ... 29 16 0 £403 19 0 Contracts entered into for the year 18G9. £ s. d. Repairing Collie’s Bridge and Footpath 14 9 0 Repairing Road from Mr. Ball’s to . OpawafoQlhxiclge — ... ... 12 0 0 Repairing Grove Road from Commercial Hotel to Taylor Bridge... 27 0 0 Repairing Alfred Street ... ... 20 0 0 Repairing High Street and Market Place 59 0 0 Repairing Maxwell Road... "TT” 10 0 0 ~ Walter Street .. ... 9 17 0 ~ Renwick Road... ... 24 16 10 ~ Leeds Quay ... ... 9 0 0 £lB6 2 10

A bstract of Receipts and Expenditure. receipts. £ s. d. To amount of Rate collected ... 374 3 0 EXPENDITURE. £ S. d. By Griffiths advance to sue for ununpaid Rates ... ... 5 0 0 ~ Robinson, Town Clerk, one quarter’s Salary .. ... ... 10 0 0 ~ Wall, Valuer ... ... 10 0 0 ~ Wall, Contract to repair Collie’s Bridge ... ... ... 14 9 0 ~ Jeffreys, Barclay & Co., contract from Ball’s to Opawa footbridge and extras ... ... .. 16 10 0 ~ Fitzgerald and Cameron, contract Grove Road... ... r ... 27 0 0 ~ Fitzgerald and Cameron, contract Alfred Street, and extras ... 23 12 0 ~ Litchfield, F. J., expenses in bringing Act into operation ... 2 0 4 ~ Compton, Attendance, Lamps, &c 519 0 '7r~JolmsonT'' Printing and Advertising ... ... ... 10 14 9 ~ Collie, Books and Sationery ... 7 19 ~ Conolly, Legal advice... ... 22 0 „ Griffiths, Poll Clerk 22 0 ~. Fergusson and Mitchell, Corporation Seal ... ... ... 13 13 6 ~ One moiety liabilities late Board of Works ... ... ... 88 2 6 ~ Broughan, 80 per cent, on contract, Maxwell Road... ... 8 0 0 ~ Beal, contract Leeds Quay ... 9 0 0 ~ Carey, engrossing Petitions ... 110 ~ Flannagau ~ ~ ... 110 ~ Spencer, on account of contract High Street and Market Place... 10 0 0 ~ Griffiths, collecting Rates per I cent, on £330 ... ... 8 15 0 I ~ Jeffreys, Barclay & Co., 80 per « cent, contract Walter Street ... 7 17 10 ),, Jeffreys, Barclay & Co.. 80 per > cent, contract Renwick Road ... 19 17 6 ;,, Balance ... ... ... 70 310 \ £374 3 0 Assets and Liabilities on NovAZth, 1869. ASSETS. £ s. d’ To Cash balance in Bank ... ... 61 17 10 ~ Rates in Collector’s hands ... 8 6 0 ~ Advanced to Collector to sue for unpaid Rates ... ... ... 5 0 0 ~ Rates not collected 29 16 0 £lO4 19 10 LIABILITIES. £ S. d. By Balance due for High Street and Market Place contract ... ... 49 0 0 ~ Maxwell Road ... ... ... 2 0 0 ~ Walter Street ... ... ... 1 19 2 ~ Renwick Road ... ... .. 4 19 4 ~ Bomford’s Bank ... ... ... 2 0 0 ~ Legal expenses incurred in bringing Act into operation .. ... 8 2 8 ~ Legal expenses in appeal cases ... 6 14 0 ~ Balance ... ... ... ... 30 4 8 £lO4 19 10 Examined and found correct— Alfred Dobson, ) , r> t, 1 Auditors. R. D. Nosworthy, )