80 year rates debate

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 246, 14 June 1988, Page 7

80 year rates debate

A 'Letter to the Editor' of the Waimarino County Call 80 years ago makes interesting reading in view of the current controversy and debate on the Amalgamation issue. The correspondent who wrote the following letter in 1908 signs himself: 'Interested Ratepayer'. "Sir - I notice in your the matter.

report of the last general meeting of the Waimarino County Council (which then included the later-to-be-formed boroughs o f Ohakune and Raetihi), considerable discussion took place as to the advisability of altering the boundaries of the different ridings in the County and a committee was formed to report on

As this is a question of considerable importance to the ratepayers of the County I hope that the committee will

thoroughly go into the whole question as the ridings are presently constituted are neither proportionate in their rateable value or number of ratepayers. Whilst taking care that the ridings are made nearer proportionate in rateable value and representation, community of interests must also be preserved. I would suggest to the committee that as the local knowledge of

the councillors is necessarily limited, representative ratepayers in different parts of the County be asked to meet the committee so that such absurdities as: (having) the boundary between two ridings running down the centre of a main road thus making each riding responsible for the upkeep of the road into the centre only; cutting

portions of a main road into three different ridings within a distance of four miles; giving a riding with a rateable value of £27,000 equal representation with a riding of £153,000 rateable value; or a riding with 10 or 12 ratepayers equal representation with a riding of 70 ratepayers; or a riding from having about 30 miles of unTurn page 13

80 years rates

from page 7 settled country between the two portions that are settled, thus debarring one end or the other from direct representation; and many other (absurdities) may be rectified. I trust that the councillors will not show any parochial feeling in this matter, but will go into the whole question (of c h a n g i n g boundaries) impartially as this is a question which affects the whole of the ratepayers of the County". S i g n e d : 'Interested Ratepayer'. (From the Waimarino County Call, Thu.rsd.ay 28 February 1908).