TOWN BOARD FINANCES

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 18 June 1920, Page 3

TOWN BOARD FINANCES

ESTIMATED RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE. NO MONEY TOR IMPROVEMENTS. I At file special meeting of tlie Otaki Town Board last night considerable attention was devoted to financial questions. The Chairman (Mr J. P. Brandon) submitted estimates of receipts and expenditure for tlie year ending March 31st, ISJ-1, which had been prepared by a subcommittee, as under:— Receipts. r £ s. d. from collection of rates at 0)d on unimproved value 1500 0 0 Licenses on account of hotels, halls, billiard saloons, and auctioneers 050 0 0 Licenses from motor cars, other vehicles, and hawkers 01 0 0 Building permits 5 0 0 Uoverument subsidy on rates 115 0 0 Bug tax lees (less collars) 00 0 0 Total £l9ll 0 0 Less debit balance at 31st March, 1901, £1343 19s lod. Expenditure.

" Total ’ iooui .19 JU Tin- sum of £25 placed on I"he estimates as subsidy tor a booklet advertising Otaki w:ts not entertained, whilst protest was made to the grants in tlie lire brigade and baud. However, alter t>riof discussion these tatter items were allowed ID stand. Tlie Chairman pointed out that the overdraft would be brought to £1313. which mean! there would be no funds tor new works. The outstanding rates at the end of the year were £I3OO Is 3d ( European £03.1 us lid, Native £587 IPs iM. total £l3lß It's lid. 10 per cent penalty £Bl Is 3d, total £I3OO Is 3d). ’The year was commenced with a debit I,ala nee of £903 l»i> Sd and finished with a debit »f £l3Ol 10s 3d. The amount received from all sources was £17.37 us 3d, and payments nude totalled £1034 19» 9d. The principal items of receipt were: Kate:-. £349 or. 10,1. licenses and permits £1)33 Hr id. Government subsidy £lls ll'». sundrio.. £33 11s £*d. Of payments office charge.totalled £193 13s 7d. maintenance of roads £739 10s lid, new work £33 13a pci. hospital levy £lOl 13s. licensing and elections £96 14s. bank interest £66 10s 6d, grants to fire brigade and library £36. payment to Horowhenua Council on loans £l3l 6s id, final * , meat Town Board section £l5O, sun- i dries £97 0s sd, total £1634 19s 9d. The amount outstanding at the 31st "March. 1919, on account of rates was £piW la’s 3d, and £1395 17s 5d was lew ied for the past year, making a total ot 1319 SOs Sd collectable. Unfortunate b-. said the Chairman, only £B9B 8s 6d liad been collected, leaving £I3OO Is ml outstanding on March 31, 1930. Of the £pu3 3s 3d outstanding at March 31. IP IP. onlv £315 13s lOd had been collec.ted to March 31, TJ3U. He considered drastic steps should be taken To collect the outstanding rates, and suggested advertising that, all rates outstanding not paid within 14. days be sued for. This was agreed to. The Chairman, speaking of the Board’s financial position, stud that under the present constitution the most the Board could expect to receive from rates, licenses, etc., was. approximately £I6OO, while the standing charges amounted to £I4OO, leaving £3OO TO provide for grants to local institutions and contingencies. Obviously any improvements by way of now work would be out of the question. Tho unimproved value of the town district on which rates were levied was £103,335, and the maximum allowable to be levied was three halfpence on the capital Value, or the equivalent on the unimproved value. This worked out at.2|d on the unimproved value and brought in £1164 its 7d. In order to obtain more revenue tor improvement of roads, footpaths, etc., increased bor-n-wing power.- were needed for carrying out nocessarv works, such as drainage, water and lighting. It was. hoped every effort would be made to form the district into ft borough. T h ? “ BMI ad ‘ •vantage:, of a 'fiorough. added, tko Chairman, would be that a borough 1-juM be divided into wards, which meant <1 ijTerentinl ward rating: special orders could not be- questioned after six months, while a borough could '" anticipation of its revenue receivable muit-r me- general account, and all separate accounts from time to tit**, borrow money. ■— l

Lor debit balance at 1st April, 1020 1201 10 3 Office salaries 208 0 0 Building inspector 10 0 0 Sanitary inspector 10 0 0 Hanger .10 10 0 Stationery, postage, telegrams 20 0 0 Furnishing unci equipment 10 0 0 Advertising and printing 20 0 0 Dank interest 70 0 0 Insurance. of employees •• .10 0 0 Lega 1 expenses 10 0 n Valuation JJept. lees .... 7 0 0 Audit 0 ii Contribution to Maugnliau 11 vdro-eleclric .League l 1 11 Licensing elec lions do 0 0 Town Board elections . . • Jo 0 u Suvl'l light iug 170 0 0 ,M a int enaiice. ot roads . . . 8o0 0 0 leaning Alangnpouri crock r> 2 0 Oilicc rent 72 0 n Uorovlienua County Couhcil. oji account of loans 121 0 < ;rant to Otaki Library . . 5 0 0 I’o cemetery 30 0 0 L’o Lire Brigade 31 0 0 Mali! Band 10 0 0 .). .1. Reardon (eleetris lighting scheme) 230 0 0 hospital aiul Charitable Aid 7.7 1! u Audi agencies loo 0 II mu i a i II