Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-03-22
The Oity Taxes and Expenses for 1879.

L
! Chairman of the Finance Committee, sub.
mitted for the consideration of the Coun-
Gil an estimate which is under considera.
ton in his committee, for the year 1879.
The new State law making the city assess
ment the same as the State, takes from
$780, to $500, OQO off the value of prop
erty for the purpose of taxation and ne
cessitates the raising of the rate but does
not increase the amount Of taxation. The
committee fix ST. 10 in the 800 as the rate
and on this estimate base the following re-
ceipts:
From real estate, s19,621.17; personal,
property, So, 1872; Incomes, 5000: Capt.
tation, $775; Licenses. $4,000; Sample
Merchants NEW tax 81 900; Water, S.. 000
Market House, 81 600; Fines, $500; Dogs,
5000 and Hay Scales, $20O-total $49, 915.s9.
The disbursements were estimated as
follows-Interest $l9,113.96, interest on
sinking fund $2,710, salaries 81, 4s0, free
schools $4,000. poor $4,000, streets $4,000
lights 81 600, water works $1,000, police
$1,92O, fire department 500, two bonds to
be paid $2,242, delinquents $1,000, contin-
gent fund So ,674 93-total $49,915.S9.
Mr.. Witt said in estimating for the
schools they had calculated on the dis
pensing with one teacher and with the
teacher Of vocal music, putting The sala-
ries of all the female teachers at $40 per
month and reducing the salary of the male
teacher from 800 to $50 per month. The
members of the committee thought as some
Of the teachers had had little experience
those who had much.
MI. Bledsoe spoke of the iberality with
which the schools had been treated; the
city being only required by law to give
twice as much as the State gives, which
would be only So 900, but the new esti-
mate gives $4,000, and other estimates have
given as high as 81 900.
Mr.. Wiz said the Committee had esti-
mated for a reduction of s25 on the salary
of the clerk of the school board. He said
at the same time that while these reduc-
tions were in the minds Of the members Of
the committee, yet, Of course, putting
them in force would be in the hands of the
school board.
Among the other reductions by the new
estimate, the Mayors salary is reduced is
per cent; the City Attorneys salary is, fixed
at $225 instead of $3.50; the Superinte ndent
of the Water w orks gets $500 and a house
to live in, instead of 5000; the overseer of
street hands is reduced from $500 to $500,
and under the operation of the ordinance
prescribing the salary will get $500; the
Chief of Police gets $40 instead of $50
month; the salary of the Council Messen-
ger is reduced from $500 to $3.50 per an
mum; that of the Ove1seer of the Poor
from 500 to $75 per annum, and the fire.
man at the water works from $40 to s373
per month. Other reductions were talked
of, including that of the police from four
to two men; of changing the office of over
seer of street hands into one filled by a
member of the police, and thus saving one
salary.
Had the scale of last years appropria-
lions been followed the expenses this year
would have been $54, 456, but as it is,
some s., 600 are saved. This is a good be-
ginning, and we feel assured if the COM
mittee will carry out with a firm hand
their ideas of retrenchment they can make
the saving aggregate $1,000 before they
bring in their final official estimate. The
taxpayers Of the city will sustain them in
anything reasonable done in that direction
at such a time as this.