Minimum rates remissions in future

Ruapehu Bulletin, 3 August 1990, Page 3

Minimum rates remissions in future

Rates remissions for Ruapehu District organisations will in future be to the minimum required by law for most groups after the council was asked to set a policy on the matter at their last meeting. The council will remit 100 per cent of the rates on public halls and museums because they provide a service that would normally be the responsibility of council and will remit 75 per cent of the rates to the Waimarino A&P Society because the land is used by a number of sports groups. In the general manager's report on rates remission, he said "Remission of rates is a deduction from the rates levied from the year and thus a direct cost to Council. In these circumstances it is appropriate to consider remissions as an item of expenditure and decide a level at which to grant them which is commensurate with the council's ability to fund the requirement." He said the

council should take into account the Council's tight financial situation and limit the mandatory remissions to the minimum 50 per cent and the discretionary remissions to zero. Some of the land the Council could, but now won't remit more rates than it has to include A&P Society land, trust owned land used as a public g arden or reserve, Maori reserve land, privately or trust owned conservation reserves, land used for sports or games, wildlife reserves, land used for creches or to conserve the health of the community, land used for orphans or the aged or infirm. A&P land may have stayed within that list but Deputy Mayor Weston Kirton brought up the society's case for discussion. Mayor Garrick Workman said the society had managed to stay viable with the previous 75 per cent remission but to reduce that to 50 per cent may make it impossible for them to continue.