Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-12-21

An act to limit taxation and public
Indebtedness, and to empower
County Commissioners to enforce
the provisions thereof.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the
State Of Washington:
SEC. l. The aggregate of all the
taxes assessed on property by the sew
eral counties, cities, towns, and other
municipal corporations, exclusive Of
the State tax and of tho sums required
by law to be raised on account of the
public debts, shall not exceed in any
year twelve aud one-half mills on
every dollar of the yearly average of
the Assessors valuations of the taxa
BILE property in said counties, cities,
towns, school district and other mum.
cipal corporations, respectively, for the
preceding five years, and the county
tax in any year shall not exceed five
mills on every dollar of said average
valuation OF taxable property.
Any ordinance, order, or appropria'
ton requiring larger assessment OF
levy Of taxes than herein limited shall
I be void.
Sec. 2. No tax shall be assessed OF
levied by any city, town, or other mu'
nicipal corporation until the same has
been authorized by the County Com
missioners of the county within which
they are situated.
Said County Commissioners are
hereby empowered and required to ex
anime, revise, restrict or cut down saic
proposed levies Of taxes, and bring the
aggregate of the same Within the limit
of twelve and one-half mills prescribed
by this act, and they may reduce any
such proposed tax or taxes below sale
limits if they deem it best for tn.
public welfare. They are authorized
to increase the amounts to be raised
for the support of public schools, bu
not in excess of the limit prescribed
in this act.
Sec. 3. The power and authority t.
levy taxes, incur debts, and issue war
rants and bonds, now vested by law il
the boards Of school directors, ar,
hereby abolished. Funds necessary
for the support of the public SCHOOL,
shall be raised and appropriated by
the cities and towns in like manne
as funds for general purposes, and thu
County Commissioners shall levy thu
annual school tax now prescribed b,
law. The existing bonded debts ant
outstanding warrants of school dis
tricts shall be deemed county debt
and provided for like other county in
debtedness, by the County Commits
siOners. All unpaid taxes levied b.
the several boards of school direction
are hereby made payable to and col
lectabie by the county treasurers, ant
when collected shall be applied t,
paying the debts of the school dis
tricts.
SEC. 4. In case the reduction of the
levy of taxes prescribed in this &C
reduces the funds derived from taxes
below the amount necessary to defra.
the salaries and other expenses OF salt
municipal corporations, or any o
them, as prescribed by law, the salt
salaries of all officers who shall ente
upon their Offices after this act take
effect, and expenses, shall be scaled OIL
diminished by percentage sutficien
to bring the aggregate thereof within
the amount Of funds raised by taxa
ton, as limited in section of this act
and such reduced salaries and pay
ments shall be received and deemed a
full payment for the services rendered
or articles furnished by the recipients
respectively, but such reduction shall
not apply to the salaries and expenses
of the Judges of the Superior Court
County Commissioners, city councils
and town councils, and board OF schoo
directors are empowered, and it is
hereby made their duty to diminish o.
scale such salaries and expenses within
their respective jurisdictions wheneveI