COUNTY YEAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 May 1941, Page 6

COUNTY YEAR

RESTORATION OF BALANCED BUDGET I | DECLINE IN EXPENDITURE. BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION. “It is pleasing to be in a position to report an improvement in the finances of the county, an objective which the council set out to attain at the beginning of the financial year,” states the annual report of the County Clerk, Mr J. C. D. Mackley, presented to tho annual meeting of the council today. "In the county fund account, which is the principal account controlled by the council, the year’s operations closed With a cash credit balance of £3,477 4s lOd. as against a debit balance of £707 10s 8d for the corresponding period last year. The restoration of a balanced budget, notwithstanding further increases in wages brought about by the 5 per cent cost of living bonus and subsequent increases granted by the Court of Arbitration in several awards, after the estimates for the year were passed by the council, plus the over increasing material and other costs can be regarded as most satisfactory. “The total revenue from all sources amounted to £71.381 0s 3d, compared with £77,265 4s lOd for 1939-40, while the expenditure for the same period totalled £68,453 0s lOd, as against £81,958 Ils Gd for the previous twelve months, making a total turnover for the period of £139,834 Is Id. The sharp decline in expenditure was due primarily to the fact that no new road construction or improvement works were opened up and the partial suspension of the tar sealing programme due to war conditions. . . . “The rates levied for the year totalled £27,735 3s 3d, as compared with a total rate levy of £27,370 16s 3d, or an increase of 1.3 per cent over the previous year. After allowing a five per cent discount for prompt payment the sum of £27.278 9s 6d, or 98.3 per cent, was collected at March 31, 1941. The cash discount allowed totalled £545 4s 10s, compared with £476 0s lOd in the previous year. In addition to the above figures arrears of rates totalling £95 7s were collected making the combined total of current rates and arrears for the year £26,828 Ils Bd. The council wrote oft’ as irrecoverable rates amounting to £226 0s sd. . . .

“The total expenditure on the maintenance and construction of all roads, including main highways under the council’s control during the past year totalled £36,585 as against £47,880 for the corresponding period last year, representing a decrease of £1L295. Of the total reading expenditure £16,106 was expended on maintenance and £20,479 on construction. The figures for the year immediately preceding were £15,010 and £32,870 respectively. The subsidies received from tho Main Highways Fund, Public Works Fund, and other miscellaneous contributions made in respect of the work above referred to totalled £20,594, the proportion provided from the council's funds amounting to £15,991. Of the total net cost to the council £11.340 was provided from revenue and £4,651 from loan. ...

“With the exception of the Tauertt River Bridge at the 4.55 miles on the Masterton Stronvar Main Highway and the Ruamahanga River Bridge at Wardells on the Masterton-Martinborough Main Highway, all of the bridges (twelve in number) included in the Bridges Loan of £l4 500 raised during the financial year ended March 31, 1939, are now completed. . . . During the past year a further Bridges Loan of £22.000 was raised with interest at £3 12s Gd per cent for a period of 25 years to provide for the reconstruction of eleven bridges, four of which are situated on Main Highways and seven on county roads. With the completion of this programme all of the bridges on the several Main Highways within the county will have been renewed in reinforced concrete.”