The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-09-06
ESTIMATED RECEIPTS.

The foregoing statement has been care
fully prepared after consultation with the
heads Of the several departments OF the city
government, and is based upon the regular
monthly expenditures and receipts OF their
denartments and expenditures authorize
bv the Council. 1t shows an estimated de-
flciency for the remainder OF the hscal year
of S99,S2S.54, to which must be added any
new appropriations you may make. Be
sides providing for this deficiency, 1t VIII be
necessary to provide for the cqTrenG eA-
nenses Of the city from the 1St of February,
ISL the commencement OF the next fiscal
wear, to the month of June, the time when
the taxes are usually collected. These eX-
penses will be $91 ,450 in excess of the re-
ceipts from all the ordinary sources OF re-
venue, making the total deficiency Sl9l,-
While it falls to you to provide for the
navment of this deficit, it is due to you,
Gentlemen, to say that it has not arisen
from any extraordinary appropriations
which YOU have made, If the $4,000 appro-
priated to public education be excepted.
Although it is 600 more than was eN-
pended for the same object the past year,
it is justified by the highest conslderaIions
of public policy, and is more than saved 9y
the reduction in the police force maze
nnder your direction by the Board of Police
Commissioners on the 1st of July. For
twelve or fifteen years the annual deficiency
reDresented bv our floating debt has oeen
from $40. 600 to Sill, 900. At the beginning
of this fiscal year it was stated be Sl0O,00O,
the accumulation of the previous five years.
IF to this is added $42, ,704.19 of whlskey
claims included in our bills payable and the
cash payments made on account OF the
same claims, the greater. part OF the exist,
ing and anticipated deficiency is accounted
for.
desirable to resort to addltlonal taHation,
nor to the sale Of city bonds, nor 10 lurtner
Temporary loans, the usual eXpedients here-
tofore adopted; but to change the time for
collecting licenses, thus making them ear
lier available; to sell some OF the real estate
owned by the city; and to collect the large
amount due by property-holders to the city
for culVerts.
It has been customary to collect the class
or license tax in June, when the land pro-
perty taxes are collected. All these taxes
are due on the first Of February, yet collec-
tion is postponed because the COMMISSION on
ers books cannot be prepared and the Gllls
made out until some months later. But
there is no reason for postponing the license
taxes. They may and should be collected
III fGDrualSs IL 40 uctCSi ioA WIZ '''-N p''J ~
to nave his tax bill divided into several pay
ments, and better for the city to receive its
revenue at different periods Of the year, as
its liabilities accrue. The present State
Constitution has diminished the number OF
occupations liable to license tax to certain
specified callings, READILY ascertalned and
assessed. If we adopt license tax similar
To the State license tax, which does not eX-
ceed the rates we have heretofore charged,
it will yield revenue of about S65,0o0.
Accompanying this communication is a
list of the real estate owned by the city,
valued at prices which competent judges
believe it can be sold for, amounting to
81 ,057, ,775. Amongst this property are lots
and houses mostly unproductive, which
are not used and will not be required for
municipal purposes, and which may be sold
or Sl20,0OO. -,
The ordinance concerning culyerts de-
clares, ssThe owners Of houses on lots
which, according to the plan of the city,
adjoin q street along which culvert has
heen or shall be built by the city, shall form
connection from their lots respectively
with said culvert or some other cnlyert
built by the city," 1t is also required that
the owner Of every house 30 Located pay
the city zone dollar and twenty-five cents
for every foot his house fronts on a street,.
This ordinance has not been enforced.
From 1867 to 1870 the city built seventeen
culyerts. Under the ordinance the owners
OF houses along the streets IN which THESE
cuiyerts were built ought to have paid the
city 80, ,6S2, when the fact is the entire re-
ceipts during the above period rom these