The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-29
CHATHAM'S TAX RATE.
Speculation as to the Probable As
SeSSment to Be Made.

The Budget Committee Expected to
Meet This Week and Report to a
Special Meeting of the Commission
ers-The State Rate Has Been Fixed,
and It May Make the Total Rate a
Little Less Than That of Last Year.
Some Conditional Appropriations
in the Present Budget Yet to Be
Acted On.
Since the receipt Of information from
Atlanta with regard to the rate Of taxa
ton to be assessed by the state, there has
been some speculation as to what the total
rate for state and county will be-
The state rate is to be 4-hundredtEs of
mill less than last year, or "a cents less
on $1,000. This makes the state tax "a. 81
per 81 COO the reduction being made on
account of the failure of the legislature
to provide this year for the raising of
the sinking fund, for the pur-
pose of paying off the states bonded
Indebtedness.
As this years portion of the fund will
in all probability have to be raised next
year, together with next years portion of
the sinking fund, which will make the
rate of state taxation considerably
greater, it is the desire of the county
commissioners that the residents of
Chatham county be given advantage of
the reduction made necessary this year
by the Legislatures error.
THE BUDGET A LARGE ONE.
The present budget of county expeud-
ltures as approved by the grand jury,
however, carries expenses of a little over
S2l2,OOO, which is about $4,000 greater
than last year. The rate of taxation last
year for the county was 1929 per 81 600,
which added to that assessed by the
state, S4.6l per 81 200. made $1,000 per
$1,000. But if the present budget is ad-
hered to it seems it will hardly be pos
sible to make any reduction in the total
rate even though the state rate is re-
duced.
The present budget, however, carries
$4,000 conditional expenditures, for
which the commissioners, it seems, NAV
assess or not as they deem expedient.
There is 5000 additional for educa ton,
which is given provided an addition is
made to the Henry Street school. and
$4,000 additional for roads and bridges
half of which is to 90 to the Skidaway
bridge, provided it is built, and the rest
is for improvement of the Meridian road
The board of education has been noti-
fed that the budget committee is ready
awaited as to whether it will accept the
$4,000 put in by the grand jury on the
conditions named. AS soon as a reply is
received meeting of the budget commit
tee win be held and report made up.
which will probably be presented to a
special meeting of the commissioners for
final action next week.
MAY BE LESS THAN LAST YEAR.
1t is probable, at least, that $4,000 of
this extra $50, 900 put in by the grand
jury will not be assessed for by the com
mlssioners, but it may be that the amount
put in as an addition to the education
fund will he acted on favorably. In this
case the total rate of taxation would, in
all probability, be somewhat less than it
was last year, though hardly by as much
as the amount taken off the states portion
of the tax.
If the answer from the board of educa-
tlon IS received in due time, it is probable
that meeting of the budget committee
of the commissioners will be held The lat
ter part of this week and report made
TO special meeting of the commissioners
at an early date next week.
The necessity for early action in fixing
the rate IS to give the tax collector full
time in which to figure up the totals on
all the different properties assessed be-
fore the time to begin the collection of
taxes. The fact that the returns have
fallen of to such a great extent, the
amount being about $500, 900, will cut
some little ii cure in fixing the rate, and
altogether the situation looks like a sort
of puzzle, which the commissioners will
have TO study out.