Rates drop 0.5%

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 396, 23 July 1991, Page 1

Rates drop 0.5%

The overall rate take for the Ruapehu District Council is budgeted to be 0.5 per cent less than last year's, and that is with the inclusion of $30,000 worth of late expenditure items and provision for funds for district promotion.

Mayor Garrick Workman said that while there was still a lot of work to be done yet to see the benefit of amalgamation but that he was pleased with the budget results. "As I've said before we inherited a difficult situation so to see rates held to slightly less than last year's is pleasing," said Mr Workman. He said the council is now doing more work for less money. Waimarino rural ratepayers have been spared the 24 per cent increase which was expected last year, following tne split in council roading rates. The southern and northern wards now pay a separate roading rate of 0.5241 and 0.8307 cents in the dollar respectively. Southern ward ratepayers will now pay a general rate of 1.07 cents in the dollar. This

is down from 1.08 for the rural ratepayers and 1.38 for urban ratepayers in the southern ward from last year. The incidence of rates will see variations, Mr Workman stressed, but overall Ohakune, Raetihi and Waiouru ratepayers will see a reduction in their rates and the rural ratepayers will see theirs stay the same, rather than increase as was expected last year. Variations will occur due to valuation changes, said Mr Workman. Also, with the decrease in user charges for water, sewerage and rubbish services, urban ratepayers across the district will benefit. The total revenue budgeted for the 1991 92 year is $7,853,294, down from $7,906,63£f last year. This is made up of $5,879,550 in general and separate rates

(up by 1.7 per cent), $1,041,284 for water supplies charges (up by 1.6 per cent) $235,700 in refuse collection and disposal charges (down by 6.9 per cent) and $696,760 in sewerage charges (down by 18 per cent). Of the general and

separate rates $3,686,925 is in general rates and uniform annual general charges and $2,192,625 is made up of the new separate northern and southern roading rates and the district promotion rate. Turnpage2

Rates down

Frompagel Commercial and industrial ratepayers will be paying a new rate this year - the new District Promotion Rate of 0.5255 cents in the dollar (see separate story). This new rate should be offset by the decrease in the general rate in the southern Wards, said Mr Workman. He said it equates to $52.60 per $10,000 of land value of a property. A uniform annual general charge will be levied against each rateable property. This year it is to be $275, up $10 from last year.