TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1985
NO REQUEST FOR INCREASE IN RATE IN COMING FINANCIAL YEAR
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THE URBAN COUNCIL WILL NOT BE ASKING FOR ANY INCREASE IN ITS SHARE OF THE RATE IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR.
THIS WAS STATED EMPHATICALLY BY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN MR HILTON CHEONG-LEEN DURING TODAY'S OPENING MEETING OF THE COUNCIL, WHO ADDED RATEPAYERS CAN TAKE THAT AS A FIRM ASSURANCE CONCERNING THE COMING 1985/86 FINANCIAL YEAR.+
HE SAID +THE PLAIN FACT IS THAT OUR RESERVES ARE GRADUALLY SHRINKING AND POSSIBLY BY 1986/87 WE COULD BE ETTING INTO A CRITICAL FINANCIAL POSITION.
+WE HAVE BEEN WELL AWARE OF THIS LIKELIHOOD SINCE THE SECOND HALF OF LAST YEAR AT WHICH TIME WE STARTED A DIALOGUE WITH THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO SEE WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.
+WE HAVE DECIDED TO ACCEPT THE PROPOSAL BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY MADE TO US IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR TO PARTICIPATE IN A WORKING PARTY TO GO FURTHER INTO THE MATTER OF THE COUNCIL'S LONGER TERM FINANCIAL NEEDS.+
COUNCIL TO STUDY RSS POLICIES ***
THE EXISTING POLICIES AND PRACTICES OF THE RECREATION AND SPORTS SERVICE (RSS) OF THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT WHICH THE URBAN COUNCIL WILL TAKE OVER AS FROM APRIL 1, ARE EXPECTED TO BE RETAINED FOR A TRANSITION PERIOD OF UP TO SIX MONTHS.
THIS WILL ENABLE THE URBAN COUNCIL TO STUDY THE SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE RSS, TO INTEGRATE SUCH SERVICE WITH ITS OWN SPORTS PROMOTION PROGRAMME AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO THE BEST USE OF RESOURCES IN FUTURE.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY MR JOSEPH CHAN AT THE OPEN MEETING TODAY, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, MR KENNETH LO, SAID: +DURING THIS TRANSITION PERIOD IT WILL BE IMPORTANT THAT THE SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC DOES NOT IN ANY WAY SUFFER. NOR THAT THE STRONG LINKS WHICH HAVE BEEN FORGED BY THE RSS WITH THE DISTRICT ORGANISATIONS, WILL BE WEAKENED IN ANY WAY.
/+IT IS