The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-07
CoUNTYS TAX RATE FIXED.
COMMISSIONERS MAKE 4 REDUC-
TION OF 90 CENTS ON $1,000.


The Rate This Year to he 1919, and
the Combined state and County
Rate S12.7O per $1,OOO-Large In
crease in the state Rate RESPONSE
bic for the Commissioners Action.
Many Items Ia the Budget Re
siuced How the COunty's Funds
VIII he Raised This Year.
Chatham county's tax rate for 1898
was fixed by the County Commissioners
at a called meeting yesterday afternoon,
and will be S6.49 on 81 900, a reduction of
90 cents on $1,000 over the rate of 1897.
The commissioners were led to make
this reduction from $3.50 to S6.49 on $1,000
on account of the heavy increase in the
state tax rate, which is this year 1921
per 81 200, or just 81 on $1,000 more than in
1897. The Morning News gave an account
some time ago of the increase in the state
tax rate and intimated at the time that
the County Commissioners would probably
make a reduction of 50 cents. The large
increase in the state tax rate was made
necessary by the increased appropriations
for education, and in a small degree by
the fact of the falling off in the returns
from the majority of the counties in the
state. The announcement of that increase
naturally created considerable anxiety
among property owners.
AT the time the increase in the state
tax rate became known Chatham county's
budget for the current year amounted to
1923 100, which would have necessitated the
levying of the same tax, $3.50 per 81, 900,
as was levied in 1897. The County Com
missioners originally fixed the budget at
1888 100. The grand jury in passing upon
ID in March, increased 1t to $780, 100, add
ing $1,000 to the county poor fund The
County Commissioners afterward Topped
the addition off the poor fund, and when.
they found retrenchment necessary, be-
gan to consider what other items might
be reduced in the same way
AS a result of the commissioners efforts
in this direction, the county budget for
1898 now stands at S2159OO, reduction of
about $17,0O0 which will make a difference
of even more than 80 cents on 81 100 In
making the reductions the commissioners
Topped off $1,000 from the roads and
bridges appropriation at one stroke. They
took $1,000 off the Superior Court appro-
priation, about the same off that for the
City Court, reduced the election account,
and quite a number of other items in the
budget until they reduced 1t to the figure
named.
The money necessary to pay the county's
expenses will be raised as follows: Assess
ments of $29,9l4243 on real and personal
property. taxed at $6.49 on 81, 900, will yield
$l9i, 1874; railroad taxes will amount TO
$4,000 and jnsolvent tax f. fas. are looked
to for 5000 more, making a total of
S2l4, This amount, il is considered,
will safely pay all the expenses as enum-
Grated in the budget, as il is frequently the
case that some of the accounts have
surplus at the end of the year.
The total tax upon Chatham county
property owners this year will be- accord
ing to these figures Sl270 per $1,000, as
against $l2.20 in 1897, the state having
made an increase of 81 and the county a
reduction of 80 cents AT this rate upon
assessments amounting TO $29, 914, 243, Chat
ham county property owners viii have to
pay taxes to the state and county amount
ing altogether to 1919 9l0SS.
The reduction made by the commission
ers will, under the circumstances, no
doubt, be most gratifying TO the property
owners. The reduction made on the roads
and bridges account makes it necessary to
postpone the extension of the paving on
the Louisville road, as originally contem-
plated The Augusta road viii be sur
faced, however, out to Monteith.