RATE REDUCTION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 235, 26 May 1932, Page 2

RATE REDUCTION

ROTORUA COUNTY SATISFXCTORY POSITION * REVEALED IN ' ' ' * REPORT STATUTORY ANNUAL MEETING A very satisfactory financiai position, in spite of tke present difficult times, was revealed in the annual report of the retiring chairman of the Rotorua County Council (Mr. H. P. Ford), at yesterday's annual meeting of the council- The chairman stated that it would once again be possible to make a small reduction in rates, although the extent of this reduction would largely depend upon the extent to which ratepayers co-operated in the collection of outstanding rates. The business of the meeting) apart from reeeiving the annual report of the retiring chairman, was purely formal. All sitting members, Messrs. J. J. Smythe, A. L. Keith, J. E. Martin, R. Copeland Smith, W. Steele and H- P. For'd, were re-elect-ed ■ unopposed at the annual county elections held earlier in the month, so that the personnel of the council will remain unaltered. The retiring chairman', Mr. Ford, was unanimously reelected for the ensuing term. "Owing to the general curtailment of Government grants for road works to all county councils, it has not been possible to continu© metalling roads to any great extent, but by utilising unemployment relief labour on construction of new roads and improvements to existing roads much useful work has been accomplished," stated the chairman in his annual report. "The Council expended £8,547 on unemployment relief works and employed an average of 170 men per week. Assistance had been given to farmers in providing labour for clearing, draining and improving lancfs as a means of increasing production- Special attention was given to clearing ragwort, and this work will, I feel sure, materially assist in checking the rapid spread of this noxious weed in our district. Financiai Position "I am pleased to be able to report that the Council's finances are in a sound position. The County fund account at the close of the year showed a credit balance of £4,084 13s lOd, and both riding accounts were in credit. The total receipts for the year amounted to £22,827 10s lld, and the total payments were £20,152 15s 6d. These payments were finaneed without payment of any interest on bank overdraft. The Council is holding a credit balance of £1,552 in the roading loan account, but I would recommend that this •sum remain on fixed deposit until such time as Government subsidies are available for any new works contemplated. . Last year, by effecting economies in various directions, your Council made a reduction of 12 i per cent. in the amount qf rates Ievied. The 121 per cent- Government rate subsidy under Secticr. 45 of the Finance Act, 1931, made a fuither reduction and materially assisted ratepayers in tiding over a difficult period. Rate Collections The percentage of rates collected was lower than previous years. The following figures show the reduction made by the Council in the amount of. ereneral rates levied during the past

; six years: — Year 1926-27, general rate, 2d in the £; 1927-28, general rate 1 7-8d in the £; 1928-29, general rate 1 ll-16d in the £; 1929-30, general rate 1 ll-16d in the £; 1930-31, general rate lld in the £; 1931-32, general rate, 11 d in the £. Your Council is in a position to again make a slight reduction in rates for the present financiai year ending March 31, 1933, but as the amount r.ow levied is barely sufficient to meet annual fixed charges, the question of lower rates depehds almost entirely upon outstanding rates being paid and full co-operation of all ratepayers is necessary if this is to be accomplished. Roading Improvements A schedule attached to the report showed that during the year, further permanent improvements were carried out on the following county roads: — Forty-eight' chains of the OkereHamurana road had been metalled with a bottom course of 576 cubic yards of local rhyolite broken out by unemployed labour, and a top course of 288 cubic yards spher rhyolite. Ninety chains "of this road had been widened. Three miles of the Ngongotaha Mountain road had been widened to two-car width. Thirty chains of the Ngongotaha Valley road had been widened from eight feet to sixteen feet, one new deviation had been formed and. another was in course of formation. Wairoa Road had been completed. The two bridges on this road had heen replaced by double sets of concrete pipes. Jackson's Road had been completed. Raethel's Road had heen completed Five chains of Hood Street, Ngongotaha, had been metalledA' new road had been laid off between Tarukenga and Dalbeths, which would employ a large number of men for some time. Six hundred and twenty-two yards of local rhyolite and 430 cubic yards of spher. rhyolite had been put on the Tauranga Road as maintenance. One bridge at the dry gully was behrig dismantled and replaced by a filling and a tunnel 100ft. by 6ft. by 6ft. ; The Rerenga Bridge "tfas being dealt with in the same way, but with a larger tunnel 211ft. by 8ft. by Sft. When these two works were completed they would mean a saving of over £2;000 as well as the maintenance of the bridges. One hundred ahd twenty cubic yards of spher. rhyolite had been carted on to this road. This road was being widened out to approximately 20 feet. Quarries had been opened up opposite the Kaharoa junction, OkereHamurana Road and off Jackson's Road. "