The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-02

only One-lnlrU Oh a Mill less IMAM las
years levy, but the taxes to be col
lected will not amount to as much as
during 1897 by about 10 per cent. This
is due to the fact that the assessed
valuation of property has been equal
I lied by the county board at reduced
/ figures, some 100000 less in the ag-
gregate.
AN ANIMATED DEBATE. .
Consideration of the ordinance levy
! ing the tax was preceded by animated
! exchange of opinion between Council
men Howe and Callister on the regu-
larity of the proceedings that were to
follow. Howe commended that if the
minute record showed the meeting was
adjourned from last Tuesday evening
it was irregular, and could only be re-
/ formed by calling a special meeting for
/ the transaction of the business in
| hand. Callister fortified his position by
( quoting from Callister, who decreed
+ that the adjournment from last Tues
day evening was correct in form.
CITY ATTORNEYS OPINION.
City Attorney Hall was requested to
arbitrate the difference of opinion be-
tween the two councilmen. By way of
preliminary the city attorney directed
attention to the fact that there was an
.
when the tax levy should be made. The
charter makes it mandatory to levy
the tax on or before the first Monday
in July, whereas the general revenue
law orders the fixing of the tax cate
during the month of July. He be-
lieved that the meeting was regularly
called for the purpose intended, and he
advised that the tax ordinance be en-
acted then, in order that any question
e 1T he
saved If it should be decreed later
that the proceeding was irregular there
would be ample time before the end
of July to relevy the tax, If such
thing were deemed necessary.
PRESIDENT BARNES RULES.
President Barnes then ruled that the
meeting was regularly convened, and
directed City Recorder Backman TO
read the recommendation of the finance
committee and the accompanying draft
for the ordinance levying the tax. The
ordinance provides for levy of mills
for contingent and general mainte-
nance expense of the city; one and
one-sixth mills for water purposes;
one-third of a mill for streets, one
third of a mill for sewers, and one
sixth of a mill for maintenance of the
public library, in all mills on each
dollar of taxable property in the city
limits.
QUESTION OF FINANCES.
Wallaces motion that the ordinance
be placed on its passage was met by
request from Robertson that the chair
man of the finance committee make
statement of how he figured the city's
financial necessities.
The finance committees chairman re-
piled that the assessed valuation of all
IL So frarr 6ir1er
railroad telegraph and telephone as
sessments to be made by the state
board of equalization, was calculated
at $50. 900 O00 A 7-mill tax rate would
yield S210, 900. If the state board raises
values the municipality would derive
benefit in increased taxes. Licenses
would earn $4,000 for the year; water
rates. S65, 600, and the city's miscellan-
eous income was estimated at S35,OOO,
making total revenue OF S44O'VOo.
Economical maintenance eXpendi-
lures for the year were estimated at
$500. 900; bond interest would require
an outlay of 1927, 400, but this amount
would be decreased $1,000 as soon as the
Der cent funding bonds to repay the
$500 900 issue of 1888 were fioated, and
s.. 900 would go to the library. leaving
a balance of $500.
Chairman Wallace was asked If any
penses.
His reply was mo. but the city is
in better financial condition now than
it was a year ago. Last years malnte-
nance expenditures were S339,l3i. so
far this year they have Averaged less
than $4,000 monthly. The estimates
of revenue are reduced to minimum,
while the estimated expenditures are,
if anything. over-rated.
CALHSTER'S OPPOSITION.
The first to raise his voice against
the finance committees recommenda-
ton was Callister. He stated that |
making of a 7-nill levy would lower the |
tax revenues because of the decreased |
and he did not think 1t /
good business policy to continually run |
behind simply because of the lack of |
coura ge to raise sufficient revenues. In !
his estimation it was beneath the dig |
nifty of the municipality to have de-
felt in the treasury every summer, and
periodically to go around to the banks
for overdraft loans. Comparisons were
made by him of the city's financial af-
fairs for the last five years, all going
to show that revenues were yearly re-
duced to a point that made it impos-
sible to pay the city's debts. If the
valuations were reduced to S2O,OOO,OOO,
il would be manifestly wrong to let the
tax rate remain at only mills. By
evying a sufficient tax this year the
city could get on cash OASIS next
year. and have something creditable to
show for it. He did not believe that
property, real estate particularly, was
bearing its share of the burden when
+ was considered that license payers
we're being pressed to the limit. In con-
,lusion Callister pleaded with his col
leagues to have the backbone to levy
4 sufficient tax, like the board of edu-
.ation had done, and as a feeler he
moved that the rate be increased to
~ mills.
Romney, a member of the finance
committee. made a speech from the
standpoint of a pessimist. For the
taxpayers, rich and poor alike, he
pleaded that mill tax was all they
,ould stand this year.
RoBERTsoN'S VIEWS.
An able argument was made by
robertson to show that the finance
committee would be serving the
municipality best by recommending a
evy of 9 mills and he amended
,allister's motion accordingly, the
library TO receive the benefit of a 1-3
mill levy. The library he characterized
IS the best institution in the city,
Established last year only to be crippled
his year. The additional tax to be
aid by each average individual would
,e, he declared, a mere trifie.
Fernstrom believed that 1t would be
letter to compel the city government
o bridge itself over the periodically
epleted treasury than that the indi-
idual taxpayers should have to hustle
or money with which to meet their
ublic dues. 1t was his belief, too, that
he license and other revenues would
Ia rOer than had hpop ectfr1oa fed and