Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-12-01
The City's Expenses The Finance
l,Ommiltae,S Rud2et for 1876.


The Finance Committee Of the City Council
have submitted their estimate of the expenses
for 1876 amounting to $500, ,570.50., Of which
S247,07O so. must be raised by taxation They
propose no increase in the tax rate, taking the
same-one per cent-which has been assessed
for some three years past. This, upon an
sessed valuation Of twenty-six millions, may be
expected to realize somewhere in the neighbor-
hood of the needed amount, after allowing for
commissions, errors, and delinquencies.
The Committee insist upon economy, and in
retaining the one per cent. tax rate, propose to
cut down some Of the expenditures, i'll order
that the unavoidable increase Of others may be
compensated. Thus, they decline to give the
Board of Education more than $50, 1000. instead
of the S74,5C0 asked for; they reduce the
amount for fire componies from s22, 000.to S16,
Oo0., water works from a25,OOO to $4,000, and
make other parings OF smaller amounts. Alto
gether, they are able to show schedule OF ap-
propriations about three Thousand dollars small
or in amonnt than those made for the present
year.
In making such estimates, the question is
whether they will be lived up to. A few years
ago, during the temporary existence of Demo-
cratic ajority in Council, the tax-rate was cut
down, in the face of the absolute demonstration
that the reduced rate would not yield sufficient
revenue for the necessities of the city. The
consequence WIS the accumulation of a large
floating debt, which eventually had to be funded.
In other words, the easing up i'll taxation, that
year. necessitated borrowing, and pro.
duced large permenent addition to the
y,n,1n po1 tro
tons toward economy are not vigorously and
consistently followed up by actual restraint up.
on expenditure, the expectation, now held OH
will Of course prove utterly delusive. 1t is cas-.
to say, for instance, that the expense for ..ipci
dental and miscellaneous items shall be re
duoed two Thousand dollars but unless the ut
most care is exercised the reduction will not b.
made.
circumstance to be remarked is that til
committee have made no calculation for any in
crease Of the police force. The increase aske
by the Mayor, and proposed in the pending or
dinance will entail an expense of some $40, 900.
and for this no provision is made. We infe
from this that the Finance Committee do nc
expect the passage Of the ordinance, and tina
they cannot bring their minds to the conyictio
that more police are 80 imperatvely needed a
to Justify adding $4,000 year to the presen
expenses.
The "hIed" items in the schedule--nteres
sinking fund, and redemption OF loans-reach
large sum. No efforts at economy can i'll an
way affect them The interest must be met, an
the stipulated redemption and sinking fund pay
ments must be made These amount in all t
$85,770. 80, almost one third of the total exper
dture of the city, aud added to the expense c
the schools, the two items make one half the te
tai expense.
The School Board cannot get along, on il
present basis of expenditures, with the $50, ,00
appropriated. After allowing for commission
errors, &C., this appropriation will no. reali2
the Board more than S55, 900 at the utmost TIL
has been the rule for several years, and th
Board has received very considerably less tina
the Sums which have been nominally appropr
ated to it. 1t has now made contracts for ne
building, the purchase of property, &c, and
the Council first lops off s14, 500 from its requ
sition. and then as usual, falls short from 450t
upward ia collecting and paying over the sui
nominally appropriated, embarrassment is pret
sure to result.