Grants approved, just

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 617, 19 December 1995, Page 7

Grants approved, just

After initially balking at the number of grant applications received (totalling $76,000), Ruapehu District councillors agreed to continue funding just over $10,000 worth of 'community affairs grants' at their meeting last week. The council will set aside $500 for the Ohakune Art Awards; $100 for the Ohakune Garden Club; $500 each for Christmas festivals for Ohakune, Taumarunui and Raetihi; $3000 to cover pan charges for community organisations; and a special fund of $5000 for late grants. Councillor Eddie Turley led the charge against such spending, saying there were a lot of.potholes in the district that he would

like to see filled before money was given away. Cr Steve Mastrovich said National Park still had an unsealed road in the middle of town. Cr John Compton said some grants were 'inherited' from past councils and perhaps they could be funded from the separate ward rate. He reminded councillors that the Christmas Festivals grants were to cover the road closure application fee which the communities could not afford. He said the grants were only available for that cause. Cliff Houston said the days of councils being only a roading authority were long gone and that they now had to find a balance between such things.