OTAKI BOROUGH FINANCES.

Shannon News, 14 May 1926, Page 2

OTAKI BOROUGH FINANCES.

COUNTY COUNCIL UNEASY. QUESTION OF BRIDGE REPAID. Included in the Works Committee's report presented by the chairman (Cr. Ryder) to Saturday's meeting of tfio Horowlromia County Council was the following paragraph: "The .repairs to the bridges on the road to the golf Links near the boundary of the Otaki Borough are to b- taken in hand shortly. " " When this cmuc before rlu Council, live chairman v Cr. Monk; askod 'vhoihcr Cr. Rvtler, as a number of the Otaki Borough Council, would give an assurance that the Council would pay for the work when it was done. Cr. Ryder: I will do my bot to see that it is paid. The chairman: They-have a tremendous account with us. The Otaki Borough owe the County £6OO. Cr. Broadbelt: £600! The chairman: Yes, and we have had nothing for years.

Cr. Ryder: All I can do is to impress on the ".Borough of Otaki that' if the work is done'at their request it will have to be paid for. The chairman: Yes, but can thoy pay for it if we do it? Has provision been made for payment on the estimates? Cr. Ryder said,he believed provision was made for the bridges, but he was not going to say that they would pay oil: their old score at once. The chairman: It is a matter of about £l5O and we cannot do it if it only means adding to the burden. It might be better for the Borough if the work was held up lor twelve months. Cr. Ryder said that on the big culvert in use at the present time the planks were loose and shook' with the vibration of the cars. They should have them put in order. The chairman: It is not under our control.

The engineer said the Otaki Borough wrote to the Council some time ago and asked them to do the work. The chairman said the responsibility for .repairs was on the Borough, but this being a. boundary road the'Council had been asked to do the work. "I am rather concerned about this account against the Borough," he added. Cr. Broadbelt: It looks as if they are trying to got us to do the work for them. Cr. Ryder: I most emphatically deny that. The chairman asked whether the Borough would give an undertaking by resolution that they would pay for the bridges when the work was done. Cr. Ryder said he would propose that the work be held over until the County got that assurance. Cr. Harkness said the £6OO represented money that the Borough had collected in respect of loans and that it should pay to the County. In reply to a remark that the matter had never come before the Council before, the chairman said it liad been mentioned several times, in a general way. but it had only b'een finalised in regard to the amount about three months ago. The Gouncil agreed to. wait for an assurance of payment from the Borough befpre proceeding with tlio work.