TOWN CLERK’S ANNUAL REPORT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3022, 13 April 1926, Page 2

TOWN CLERK’S ANNUAL REPORT.

At last night’s meeting of the Borough Council the Town Clerk (Mr. Wm. Trueman) submitted the following annual report on the borough finances: — General Account. —Comprises the activities of the Council not specially detailed in any separate, accounts. The credit balance of £136 at the beginning of the year has disappeared and a debit .balance of £2OB has taken its place. This is due to several reasons, the principal being the heavy expenditure on road maintenance, namely, £1724, against the previous year £1304, an excess of £420. We have been re-imbursed by the Highways Board £IBO, and Hie Manawatu County Council £3O, so that the nett shortage is £2lO, the amount of the debit balance. In other respects the account is quite sound. The estimates accompanying this report show that the general rate required for the ensuing year amounts to £1982 9s 9d, while that estimated for the year just ended amounted to £1984 15s Od, so that it will be seen that there is no increase in the cash required for this account. Owing to the total unimproved value of the Borough falling from £98,988 to £98,163 the actual rate in the £ has risen by 3/64d to produce the same amount. Library Account.—Misfortune continues to dog this account. There is, however, a credit balance of £l4l, of which £7O is insurance •money to be, spent on books and shelves. (Subscriptions stand at £2B, being about £B.less than last year. Expenditure on new books for the year amounts to £44, practically absorbing all the Library Kate collected. Since the lire arrangements have been made for carrying on the library in Ross s Buildings and this should prove quite suitable until the number of books warrants a larger room. Reserves Account. —The expenditure exceeds the revenue in this account by £44, although there is a credit balance of £lO9, of which £SO is trust money. Fencing and tree-planting £6l, and contribution to the Beautifying Society towards the caretaker's wages are the principal items of expenditure. Gasworks. —The Trading Account cannot be made up until the meters are read and accounts balanced for the present month. The receipts and expenditure account, however, shows a debit balance of £ll2, although the year was commenced with a credit balance of £454. The sale of gas has fallen by £7OO, and there is a corresponding drop in coal and wages of £2OO. The reason for the adverse balance is not far to seek. The annual interest charges remain the same, £716, and as indicated to you at a recent Council meeting a small rise in the Gasworks Loan Interest Rate is inevitable. This has, however, been kept at the lowest possible margin, namely, id, which will provide only £307, leaving the Gasworks account to find the difference £4lO, about £IOO more than I think it may do. However the matter can be reconsidered next year at this stage. Town Hall Account. —The rosy prospect facing this account was sadly terminated by the lire. A balance of £742 was made available for the year on the Picture Account, and this sum, transfeiied to the Hall Account, after paying for the new plant, re-wiring, scenery, interest, rates and insurance for the old hall, leaves £302. This sum, with £33 sale of materials, and £75 balance brought forward from the previous year makes £4lO ready cash. The temporary, hall, wiring etc., new plant, curtain etc., cost £495, so that only £BS of the insurance money has been spent, leaving a balance of £3915, of which £2500 has been placed on fixed deposit. Waterworks Account. This account started the year with a balance of £23, and finished with £lB6. The sum of £B6O 15s 2d, has, however, had to be transferred to the Water and Drainage Loan account to finish the drainage works, and the Debit balance is therefore £674.

It will be necessary to find this £BOO and as the Council automatically has authority to raise an additional ten per cent, of the original loan, this would seem the proper thing to do. The amount is too large to he met out of revenue, otherwise I would advise that course. It is pleasing to report that the whole of the water and drainage works are now completed. When it is considered the enormous difficulties under' which the work had to he done, shortage of funds, inclement weather and several starts and stops, the fact that the original estimates have been exceeded by only 2,438 per cent, is really a matter for congratulation. During the last 12 months it has been fairly generally thought that the works could not be completed with the money in band, and Coley Street., Futter, Cook Street and streets in that block were responsible for the greater part of the deficit. Where the going has been good, however, splendid progress was made and this fact is I am sure generally appreciated.

Conclusion. —The other accounts in the balance sheet do not call for comment, being practically of a routine nature from year to year. Just in passing I would say that nearly £3OOO has to be paid out each year for interest, but, of course, this does not all come out of direct taxation. The total required by way of rates for the ensuing year is £4806 of which over £2,000 is for water and drainage interest. Last year the sum of £4295 was required, and collected all but £314 which is still outstanding and in the hands of the solicitors for collection. There is nearly a penny increase in the water and drainage interest rate this year and this alone almost accounts for the total increase to lllid. The reduction in the unimproved value as mentioned before absorbs practically all the rest.

This marks the close of the first year of the present 'Council’s term of office, and I cannot let this opportunity pass without complimenting the new Councillors on their cooperation and ready grasp of the many and varied details of local government. To the old councillors I can only reiterate my remarks made in previous years, and finally to the Council as a whole I desire to convey on behalf of myself and fellow employees, thanks and appreciation by the staff of the consideration and thoughtfulness displayed in their interests. In moving the adoption of the report, the Mayor said that it showed a very satisfactory state of affairs. He congratulated the clerk on his report and work during the past 12 months. The Council appreciated the congratulations received from its employees and on behalf of the Council he extended the same compliment to them.