New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-26
MUTATIONS OF OUR CITY TAX
BILL.

Two months later than the time required by
law Controller Brennan sent to the Common
Council and Supervisors his estimates of the
amounts of money necessary to be raised loI
city and county expenses in l-6i. This was on
the 18th of January. The footings Of TIN,
budget were: For city purposes, sc,Ol3"63 10;
for county, s.. $50 1868 G5; total, Si3, 500, 227
81. II was found that by certain provisions 81
State law, a large portion of this was beyond
the tinkcrng of city authorities, such aa the
Alm,-House appropriation, interest on City
Debt. Union Defense Bonds, State Taxes,
Police pay, and the money for State
and CITY schools Within two weeks
the Supervisors disposed Of Si,53G.9l7 90 Of
their share and two weeks later the Common
Council had adopcd an ordinance embracing
saG73,745 II of their portion. This left
So, Ig2, 56l II OF the Controllers estimates yet
to tinker The Aldcrmen's Finance Committee
worked q month and succeeded IN increasing
the city portion by S62,5 ~. The Board
added largely to thii, and in only two days ran
the increase up to $500, go 81. Then the
Councilman came TO the work, and their III
nance Committee March IG) reported in favor
Of total increase Of $iR,j27 81. This the
Board actually reduced, 20 that when
their resolution passed March lO the
Controllers figures were increased only
$3.50, O27 81. After long delay, during which
certain Shylocks haze taken from three TO five
per cent a month for advancing on salaries, &c,
the CITY Budget reached the Legislature. The
Committee on Cities and Villages added Central
Park and Education 10 the sum adopted by the
Aldermen as provided for under existing
laws" this showed $4,6l0,7I5 81 already set
tied. and only S37Gl $40 W to work upon.
After interminabe sessions and discussions the
Committee reported TO the Assembly IN favor OF
=. 325, 90 O2-ther heavy labor resulting in a
reduction of the Common Councils claim by
Si3G, go Deduct this from the increase made
by the Common Council, and we find that the
Legislative Committee had come down even
lower than the Controllers estimate-their total
showing a decrease Of 81 500 63 from that of
Mr.. Brennan. Now the bill at last comes into
the Assembly, and, after some amendments, was
adopted more than four months after the esti-
mates were sent TO the Aldermen. How sud
denly the reductions made by the Committee
were wiped ont, and a large balance put above
the Controllers mark, We cannot tell, but, upon
comparing the figures as they went to the Speak
cr's desk with those that were sent 10 the Sen
ate, we find an increase Of nearly $500, 900.
But the following table will give Il clearer view
Of the ups and down Of the totals 80 interesting
to taxpayers:
Controller. estimate ''''' '' - '''a. saOi32oJ &c
Committee S7a7i5 81 e5t2oa aC7sslo a1l
Passed BY Aldermen 2G'J.5ij 57335S @..sA2,JlJ %
Ss3,3 s73s &c g. ss;9 % g
Gy............... 46lO7i5 II aR7so Oe..eoe9s5 Q
Passed Lcg.aturo 46o745 81 36aoiH G..s2sl 1883 %
So il seems that all the efforts made at Albany
to Tighten our burdens have failed; after cipher
ing down Sl54, 500 below the highest stretch of
City Hall daring we find the actual result TO be
an addition TO the Controllers original bill of
s277 ,92j 81. SO far as changes have been
made there are some good ones. The item for
salaries Of members Of the Common Council
was stricken out; printing and advertising was
reduced about 100000, $4,000 was cut of
from contingencies, and so on until about S375,-
900 had been shaved from the Controllers
schedule; but then more than that was put
back in STA 900 for Judgments, $4,000 for
Piers, S25, 200 for Roman Catholic Asylum,
500, 600 for Roads in the Twelfth Ward, &c, and
by increasing other items with liberal hand.
So much for the City Levy; that for the
County is not so badly tangled. Here the Con
trolIer estimated S5,45i,9G3 65, of which
special laws already provided for s., 736, 9I7 49,
leaving only S7is,oiG l6 for the Legislature;
but the Supervisors made several additions. so !