Devonport Must Pay Higher Rates

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 362, 24 May 1928, Page 11

Devonport Must Pay Higher Rates

LIQUIDATING CIVIC DEBT ALL WATER TO BE METERED The Devonport Borough Council has decided to increase the rates this year by a halfpenny in the £ on the unimproved value. The hospital rate, also, will be increased to meet the extra levy made. In addition, the borough is to instal water meters, and make an annual charge of 7s 6d. The estimated income for the year is £20,410, from the interest rate of 4 3-16th pence in the £, and £llf!70 from the general rate of 2 5-16th pence in the £ ; subsidies and refunds' will bring in £2,625; licences and fees, £2,360; petrol tax, £750; and other sources, £3,832. The estimated expenditure shows that the existing overdraft at April should be liquidated, and the next council enter office without any previous debts to handle. The present council took over with nearly £7,000 of liabilities. The town clerk’s administration absorbs £1,900; engineer’s department, £730; traffic inspection, £285; building and sanitary, £575; fire brigade, £1,000; public works, £7,181; Stanley Park, £811; and sundry items, £1,225. The Stanley Bay special rating area will pay a farthing in the £ rate extra. The street lighting rate stands at one halfpenny, and is producing £2,437. Sanitation is at 15s a house, but the completion of the refuse destructor shortly may cut down this charge. The water supply account shows a credit of £2,480; the charges are as before, Is 6d a 1,000 gallons, with a minimum of 15s for the half-year. The surplus is to be used to buy meters for water supplpied to all houses, part of the borough being metered already. At the meeting of the council last evening, the Mayor, Mr. E. Aldridge, said it was only after considerable deliberation that the rate had been raised. If strict economy were practised, and anticipated benefits came from the policy of charging for all water supplied and from the saving in handling refuse, the next council should be able to reduce the rates slightly. The position of the borough was very sound, and the rate levied, as well as the services obtained for the money raised, would compare more than favourably with any other borough around Auckland.