The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-28
FUNDS NOT COMING IN
The City May Have to Suspend
Street Improvements.
CAUSED BY NEW REVENUE LAW.
owing to Sfowne~s OF Tax Collections
the Street Fund VIII Only Pay
For Work Now I'm Hand.

So great has been the falling of In the
payment Of city taxes that the join
nnance committee Of the city council con-
templates Introducing proposition at the
next meeting OF the council 10 temporar-
ny suspend preliminary work OF street
improvements which have been petEtloued
for by property owners until there is SUI
ncfsnt money in the road fund 70 permit
Of the work being resumed. This Will not
apply 70 improvements which have al
ready been authorized or those IN pro-
greSs. bat simply those which have been
petiti0ned for and which are now in the
hands Of the board OF public works or the
city engineer
When the tax levy for this years work
was made by the council $1,000 was tg-
ured on to he placed in the road fund and
10 be expended only for the citys portion
or public improvements, including sewers
and streets or that amount only about
" per cent has been collected. and the
chances are that but little more will be
turned over from the county treasurer TO
the city for some months to come. The
city has already caused public improve
Tenis 20 be made or authorized which
VIII eat up the money now on hand for
the purpose and consequently the finance
committee will advise the council that II
will be unwise and contrary TO the policy
pursued by the present administration Ia
until taxes are paid TO warrant IT.
The falling of In amount OF taxes paid
into the county treasury this year In COM
parisou with last year is very large. and
II Is generally recognized that the law
passed by the legislature extending the
time for payment IS largely responsible
for IL. Under the old law taxes became
delinquent in April. but the new law says
that IL one-half Of the tax is paid before
May 81 the remaining one-half viii no.
fall due until November b In case one
half of the tax Is not paid before May 81
the entire tax becomes due. and IL the
necessary payment Is made before May .;
and the balance is not paid before Novem-
Der ~ the delinquency on this balance
dates hack to May 81. Thus far a large
majority OF the property owners have not
made any payments whatsoever and II Is
a very serious question whether they VIII
do so before May 81 or allow the entire
tax to become delinquent. During the
week ending March is this year the city
taxes collected amounted TO s.. ~ n. while
for the corresponding week of the pre-
vious year they footed up 5.Sl1-l6, which
gives one an idea OF the falling of In
payments.
II the city council adopts the PROPOSE
ton which the finance committee contem-
plates suggesting 1t Will altogether depend
on how fast taxes come Ia when the city
will tell property owners who desire street
improvements TO come forward with their
petitions The city has already made
many extensive street Improvements this
year and authorized many more. The Pike
street Improvement, the most important
ever authorized by the city. viii take
nearly $5.eo out Of the fund 10 pay the
city's portion OF the cost, but TN return
the administra ton will give to Seattle the
first long piece OF permanent paving in its
history.
Among the other improvements which
are under construction or which nave been
authorized. and which VIII eat up about
all of the money now in the general road
fund for the payment OF the city s portion
are the following:
HYDE street sewer work completed.
city's net cost, $3.50.
East street contract let. awaiting sale
OF bonds city's net cost 49,.
Lewis street. from Yesler avenue 10 the
north lie OF Walia Walla addition: work
contracted for. awaiting Issuance and
sale OF bonds; city's net cost. S7H.
Bush street. from jackson street TO
Day street: work contracted for. await
ing issuance and sale of bonds; city's net
cost. $li6.
Madison and Filbert streets: sewer
work completed: net cost 10 the city. S2S2.
Willow street from Broadway TO Ken
ney; work contracted for. awaiting issu-
ance and sale Of bonds. net cost TO the
city. S222-
Kenney street. from Remington avenue
to Madison street. work nearly compiet-
ed: net cost TO the city. s572
Beacon street. In Brooklyn addition:
work contracted for. awaiting issuance
and sale OF bonds, net cost TO the city.
s767.
Lincoln street. from Depot 20 Grange;
contract authorized but not yet awarded:
net cost 10 the city, about 81 600.
on. 10 WI no
board OF public works or referred for
survey and estimate petitions for the i'm
provement os Gaylor, Garfield. Arthur
and Sherbrook streets. and these are
among the improvements which will like
Is have to lay over for time