The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-13
ANNEXATION OF DEER1NG.
TO the Editor of the Press:

are disturbed lest, by annexation to Port
land, their taxes will be greater than
now. My friends, do you know the facts!
The report of the town of Deering, after
it was set off from Westbrook, shows
that Deering assumed two-thirds of the
debt of the old town, and that after this
first year, in the spring of 1872, Deer
ing's debt was $50, 100; that the valuation
upon which the taxes had been assessed
for 1871 was 81, ISL ,919; polls $40; tax rate
$40 on $1,000; that is to say, the debt was
about 3.S per cent. of the valuation.
Twenty years later, by the report of
1899, which was issued at tho time the
first city government was inaugurated,
the net debt is given as s72, 793. Valua-
ton 81, OF $40; polls 1886; rate $40. SO;
that is to say, the percentage of debt had
been reduced to about "a per cent of the
valuation.
| Up to this time Deering had been grad
ually gaining financially, although it
had built nearly all of its sohoolhouses
in the meantime. At this time, or the
year before, when the annexation cues
ton was last presented to the vote OF the
Deering people, Portland's net debt was
nearly 81 ZOO, 600 greater than it is today;
and the percentage Of this net debt to
Pcrtland''s valuation at that time 1885,.
600, OOO) was about SO to behring's "a.
| Such difference in debts was, perhaps,
sufficient reason for you to vote against
annexation. But how is 1t now? Times
have changed since the old town died.
The facts are different. Deering became
city, and it's affairs passed from the
people into the hands of a city council,
and the village took the control. The
| city commenced its much needed, i'm j..
provements, sewers, lights, sidewalks,
| fire departments, numerous salaries, po-
| lice department., etc.. and now an expen-
sive new school building; not that they
were not necessary; they surely are neces-
sary. and SO is much more; expensive
sewer problems are ahead; the city
building question is to come; more po-
lice and especially more fire department
must come. The calls of the near future
arc too numerous to mention. But the
question is, how has this been affecting
Deering's finances, while Portland has
been paying OF this 100000?
Our last annual report shows net
debt of ut least sl13,448 as near as one
can ascertain from it. To learn our pres
ent condition we must add a loan of S15,
eco for widening Forest Avenue; about
$40, 600 worth of new sewers, oIle-third of
which (S6 1860 the city must pay; other
leans of $4,000 for current expenses. not
provided for by the taxes assessed; aad
the liability Of from $40. Goo to $50, 900 for
the new High School building, $50, 900 of
which the Council has already voted to
borrow upon bonds This makes an ap-
proximate total of $179,614, which can
not be far from correct, an Increase this
present year of about s66,6l4, more than
the entire debt of the town in 1872; and
this does not include the finishing of
Forest Avenue at an estimated cost of
5000 more. sure to come next year.
This debt, Sis 6i4 is about per cent
of the valuation upon which our 1897
taxes were assessed This Is subject to
such slight reduction as the increase Of
valuation during this current year would
cause, possibly reducing it to $40 per
cont This is considerably more than it
was when the old town began to pay off
the old Westbrook debt. ana considerably
more than Portland's net debt today,
which is about 3.4 per cent. The annexa-
ton commission reported that our dett
was practically the same as Portland S;
but they included that portion only of
the cost of the new High School, which
was already due the builders for the work
which was already done.
| Now INV friends on the farms what
does this all mean for you? 1t means
first, that after the schOOlhOuse is COM
| pic-nd and the avenue finished, there will
re lie s than $40, eco between Deering' det
an. her ) per cent limit. 1t means that,
judging the future by the past, this will
not provided funds for improvements In
| these growing villages much longer.
| 1t means that Deering will be expen-
sive to you, and that you and your chill
dren must help pay this debt; that when
Deering can no longer borrow she Will
begin to tax, that il she has another
year like this, after she has reached her
limit, it Will raise your tax rate S15 on
thousand above its present figure; while.
if annexed to Portland, such an extra
appropriation would raise the tax rate OF
the greater city less than 81 so on thou
sand, because of the larger valuation
upon which it assesses taxes. Deerlng
has been keeping her tax rate too low 10
w
sometime, and they are mortgage upon
your farms until they are paid; and a tho
rate must come up, for current expenses
cannot be reduced. It is assistance in
these respects that Portland is willing to
furnish for the prestige of being larger
city. This is your opportunity 10 not
allow the otficehoIders to hoodwink you:
Portland is much better able to build
you.good roads, and also to furnish you
work, if that is what you want, than is
Deering. The salaries alone of the Deer
ing officials, which would he saved to the
greater city, would build many sidewalks
for US every year.
Portland has reduced her net debt
Sl,70l,000 in the last ten years, and today
her net debt is 81, 1856. 796, only, in spite of
the jugglery of figures of our friend
ANN IT, That is what large city can
do without an excessively high tax rate,
because of the great amount of valuation
conferred there. Portland's tax rate viii
diminish as she pays her debt, While
behring's must increase, if she is to have
city Improvements without city values to
assess taxes upon. If you think that the