The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-15
TAX RATE TO BE RAISED.
COUNCIL TO PUT 1T BACK TO $3.50
PER 500.

penditures Otherwise, Acting May
or Hamilton SayS-Wiu Increase
the City's Revenue About $4,000.
The Decrease Was n Political
Move Anyway, the Acting Mayor
Says-The Council Looking About
For Sources of Revcnue-SOme
Taxes That May he Raised.
The city tax rate is TO be put back to
81 so per $1,000. This much has been de
cided upon by the committee of the whole
of council, which has the tax ordinance
for the next year under consideration for
some time.
The new rate was the rate of city taxa
ton for several years. until the present
rate Of Sl.45 was fixed for this year by the
last administration. The reasons for re
storing the rate to the old figure were
plainly stated by Acting Mayor Hamilton
TO a Morning News reporter yesterday.
1.-THE city's revenue for the present
year" said Alderman Hamilton. who is
also chairman of the finance committee,
twill be about $4,000, which includes
about $4,000 paid the city by the Central
railroad for back taxes. We have no hope
of any such wlndfall for next year, and it
is evident that our expenditures will be
fully as heavy as for the present year To
give the various departments, including
those under commissions, what they de-
mand would require a revenue of fully
100000. OF course this is out of the ques-
ton, and the various departments will do
well to get the same amounts for next year
which they received this year. Doubtless
some of the improvements recommended
by these departments are very desirable,
but as the city has no money with which
to provide these things, 1t is out of the
question to consider them any further. We
have no reason to expect any material in
crease of the city's revenue next year. The
property returns are about the same and
there is no indication of any increase in
license taxes. The reduction of five points
in the tax rate by the last council was
simply a political move, and conferred no
particular benefit upon any one the re-
duction being so small TO hardly be felt
by the individual property owners. At
the same time it made the work of calcu- !
lation in the treasurer's office much more
difficult. The difference IN the city's reve-
nue. is about $4,000 annually. and every
cent Of this is needed in providing for the |
necessary expenses of the city during the |
coming year. In making a reduction in |
the tax rate the last council brought over !
bills against the city three times as great |
as the reduction which had to be paid |
out of the present years income
The amounts asked for by the various |
commissions, for operating expenses and |
improvements during the coming year, Mr. |
Hamilton said, exceeded the total of the |
amounts granted them for the same pur- |
poses last year by $l96, 600. To grant all |
their requests, he said, the city would |
have to make the tax rate per cent, in |
stead of " per cent.
The tax ordinance and budget are not |
yet complete, and will not be submitted |
TO council at its meeting tonight Both |
have been gone over and gotten into pro- |
visional shape, but they will be given fur |
Their consideration before being presented |
to council for adoption.
The council has its eyes open for new |
sources of revenue. and there will doubt |
less be some additions and changes in the |
tax ordinance. There is a prob !
ability that the tax on pawn |
brokers will be raised from $500 to 81, 900. |
The tax of $500 on pawnshOps has not |
establishments and some of the members |
of the board think the city would be bet |
ter off with fewer pawnshops and more |
license. The tax on money brokers Of $3.50 |
may be raised to $500
Another tax Of interest to the business |
community is the insurance tax Unde, |
the present ordinance each insurance |
company doing business in the city is re-
quired to pay a tax of 500. The point |
has been raised that some of the large
companies are represented in two or more /
agencies and there is some talk of requir- |
ing the companies or the agents to pay a |
separate tax for each agency Another |
feature is the tax on insurance brokers |
With the 800 tax on each company repre- |
scented here the practical effect is to shut |
out the brokers, who claim not to repre- |
sent any particular company, but simply |
TO place business where they can get the |
best terms. As a matter of fact, how, |
ever, the brokers usually represent the |
Lloyds or mutual companies, between |
whom and the other companies there is |
constant war.
There is desire in some quarters to open |
the field TO the brokers' as it is claimed !
that this would reduce insurance rates. 1t |
is claimed that the brokers do business |
in Atlanta, where the conditions are prac-
1eally the same as in Savannah