# Municipal and Official Handbook of the City of Auckland, New Zealand/Finance

FINANCE.
As the truest indication of the progress or otherwise of any institution or corporate body is recorded by its financial operations, it is of interest therefore to note that the first available balance sheet of the City of Auckland, namely, the area bounded by Stanley Street, Symonds Street, Karangahape Road and Franklin Road, was presented, under the "City Board Act, 1863,” by the City Board of Commissioners for the period 1st June, 1863, to 30th June, 1864, and is given below in detail:—
RECEIPTS. :
| June 30, 1864— | June 30, 1864— | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. |
| | From Provincial Government, on account of votes for City main sewer | 3,049 | 3 | 5 |
| | From ditto, on account of votes for City purposes | 1,607 | 8 | 3 |
| | Ditto, on account of vote loan of £20,000 | 5,000 | 0 | 0 |
| | Ditto. on account of votes for water supply | 700 | 0 | 0 |
| | Ditto, contribution towards expense of cutting and forming Albert Street | 500 | 0 | 0 |
| | Ditto, one-half of expense of erecting urinal, etc., at wharf | 13 | 14 | 6 |
| | Ditto, expense of lighting wharf lamps | 30 | 4 | 7 |
| | | —————— | —————— | —————— | 10,900 | 7 | 9 |
| | From rents of ground in Customs House Street | 176 | 10 | 0 |
| | From City rates | 4,803 | 14 | 10 |
| | From carters’ licenses | 182 | 10 | 0 |
| | From lodging house licenses | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| | From insurance companies, proportion of expense of forming water tanks for fire engines | 204 | 0 | 0 |
| | From miscellaneous income | 50 | 8 | 6 |
| | | —————— | —————— | —————— | 5,441 | 3 | 4 |
| | | | | | £16,341 | 11 | 1 ​ |
| PAYMENTS. ||||||||
| | | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. |
| For | constructing City main sewer | 2,773 | 13 | 11 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Repairing and cleansing streets | 6,904 | 11 | 6 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Lighting streets, repairing lamps, etc. | 185 | 8 | 8 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Repairing and working fire engines, forming water tanks, etc. | 412 | 6 | 4 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Salaries of officers and servants of the Board | 859 | 0 | 6 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Office furniture, printing, stationery, advertising, etc. | 373 | 0 | 11 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Water supply, forming wells, erecting pumps, etc. | 718 | 15 | 9 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Services of assistants to Engineer at City levels | 54 | 17 | 10 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Price of stone breaking machine. Expenses towards erecting and working same | 885 | 5 | 6 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Valuation of City property—sum paid to Messrs. Aitken & Reid | 250 | 0 | 0 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Subscription to repair of Mount Eden Road | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Erecting urinal and water closet on the wharf | 27 | 9 | 0 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Law expenses | 73 | 4 | 0 |
| {{{1}}}„ | Miscellaneous expenditure | 84 | 11 | 4 |
| | | —————— | —————— | —————— | 13,632 | 5 | 3 |
| Balance in hand—main sewer | Balance in hand—main sewer | 301 | 9 | 6 |
| Balance in hand—general purposes | Balance in hand—general purposes | 2,407 | 16 | 4 |
| | | —————— | —————— | 2,709 | 5 | 10 | |
| | | | | | £16,341 | 11 | 1 |
(Sgd.) D. GRAHAM,
Auckland, 12th July, 1864.Chairman.
The Assets and Liabilities for the period were as follows:—
| ASSETS. | ASSETS. | ASSETS. | ASSETS. | LIABILITIES. | LIABILITIES. | LIABILITIES. | LIABILITIES. |
| | £ | s. | d. | | £ | s. | d. |
| Money due to Board | 6,517 | 4 | 10 | Amount borrowed from Provincial Government | 5,000 | 0 | 0 |
| | | | | Sundry creditors | 1,237 | 5 | 8 |
| | | | | | £6,237 | 5 | 8 |
| | | | | Contingent liabilities under existing contracts | 4,620 | 19 | 7 |
| | £6,517 | 4 | 10 | | £10,857 | 5 | 3 |
​It will be noticed that in the Receipts there are a number of items such as loan receipts, contributions and reimbursements of expenditures, which, if excluded, reduce the amount of actual revenue receipts to £5,237 3s 4d, mainly accounted for by City rates, £4,803 14s 10d.
Similarly on the Payments side most of the items are for new works, which, in later years, would be shewn in separate accounts under Loan headings.
The next available statement of Accounts is that of the City Council from 21st November, 1871, to 15th November, 1872, in which the distinction before referred to is made.
| REVENUE RECEIPTS. | REVENUE RECEIPTS. | REVENUE RECEIPTS. | REVENUE RECEIPTS. | PAYMENTS FROM REVENUE. | PAYMENTS FROM REVENUE. | PAYMENTS FROM REVENUE. | PAYMENTS FROM REVENUE. |
| | £ | s. | d. | | £ | s. | d. |
| Ordinary revenue | 5,132 | 7 | 1 | New work | 758 | 16 | 10 |
| Special rate | 1,208 | 2 | 3 | Repairs and maintenance of streets and sewers | 6,215 | 6 | 7 |
| Endowment rents | 1,378 | 5 | 0 | Salaries, office expenses and sundries | 2,429 | 5 | 4 |
| | | | | Interest on debentures | 1,805 | 14 | 10 |
| | £7,718 | 14 | 4 | | £11,209 | 3 | 7 |
| ASSETS. | ASSETS. | ASSETS. | ASSETS. | LIABILITIES. | LIABILITIES. | LIABILITIES. | LIABILITIES. |
| | £ | s. | d. | | £ | s. | d. |
| Money, plant and debtors | 23,934 | 9 | 11 | Loan debt | 35,000 | 0 | 0 |
| Accrued Sinking Fund | 8,865 | 0 | 0 | Mortgage | 1,400 | 0 | 0 |
| | | | | Creditors | 3,445 | 6 | 9 |
| | £32,799 | 9 | 11 | | £39,845 | 6 | 9 |
​Comparative figures are given, in decennial periods, from that date:
| Year. | Revenue Receipts. | Revenue Receipts. | Revenue Receipts. | Payments from Revenue. | Payments from Revenue. | Payments from Revenue. |
| | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. |
| 31st March, 1882 | 23,864 | 1 | 7 | 28,586 | 17 | 9 |
| {{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„ 1892 | 63,315 | 8 | 2 | 57,608 | 17 | 1 |
| {{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„ 1902 | 81,649 | 9 | 0 | 91,009 | 0 | 8 |
| {{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„ 1912 | 214,962 | 11 | 7 | 226,991 | 13 | 3 |
| {{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„ 1921 | 1,075,840 | 18 | 11 | 1,164,417 | 14 | 9 |
| Year. | Assets, including Sinking Fund Accrued. | Assets, including Sinking Fund Accrued. | Assets, including Sinking Fund Accrued. | Liabilities, including Loan Debts. | Liabilities, including Loan Debts. | Liabilities, including Loan Debts. |
| | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. |
| 31st March, 1882 | 275,946 | 7 | 9 | 252,859 | 0 | 0 |
| {{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„ 1892 | 573,290 | 11 | 0 | 465,294 | 16 | 3 |
| {{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„ 1902 | 787,860 | 0 | 4 | 560,756 | 3 | 0 |
| {{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„ 1912 | 1,895,023 | 17 | 10 | 1,284,667 | 6 | 5 |
| {{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„ 1921 | 5,230,827 | 8 | 2 | 4,113,092 | 14 | 7 |
| | Loan Debt. | Accrued Sinking Fund. | Nett |
| 1864 | 5,000 | — | — |
| 1872 | 35,000 | 8,865 | 26,135 |
| 1882 | 250,000 | 5,358 | 244,642 |
| 1892 | 449,900 | 26,867 | 423,033 |
| 1902 | 554,900 | 72,117 | 482,783 |
| 1912 | 1,178,200 | 168,299 | 1,009,901 |
| 1921 | 3,918,924 | 499,827 | 3,419,097 |
MUNICIPAL TRADING.
The following is the position of the Trading Accounts of the City for the year ended 31st March, 1921:—
| | Revenue. | Revenue. | Revenue. | Expenditure, including Interest, Depreciation, etc. | Expenditure, including Interest, Depreciation, etc. | Expenditure, including Interest, Depreciation, etc. | Surplus. | Surplus. | Surplus. | Deficiency. | Deficiency. | Deficiency. |
| | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. |
| Waterworks | 73,534 | 1 | 3 | 53,237 | 7 | 7 | 20,296 | 13 | 8 |
| Electricity | 111,677 | 14 | 8 | 94,597 | 8 | 10 | 17,080 | 5 | 10 |
| Tramways | 419,185 | 18 | 5 | 393,524 | 9 | 11 | 25,661 | 8 | 6 |
| Fish Market | 42,970 | 2 | 5 | 42,955 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 16 | 11 |
| Produce Markets | 4,463 | 16 | 7 | 6,101 | 12 | 1 | | | | 1,637 | 15 | 6 |
| Abattoir | 23,538 | 15 | 5 | 19,358 | 12 | 0 | 4,180 | 3 | 5 |
| Quarry, stone, etc. | 8,410 | 2 | 10 | 7,892 | 12 | 11 | 527 | 9 | 11 |
| | 683,780 | 11 | 7 | 617,657 | 8 | 10 | £67,760 | 18 | 3 | £1,637 | 15 | 6 |
ANDREW MESSER,
City Treasurer.