The San Francisco call., 1899-06-30

Board Of Supervisors has fixed for
the fiscal -ear which viii com
r,erce tomorrow tax levy Of
Si.013 on every 500 on an as
sessec valuation of $350,0oo 200. The
recommendation of the committee will
undoubtedly he accepted by the board,
which mas pledged itself 20 the dollar
limit. The city is thus insured one of
the most economical administrations IN
the history Of the municipality. The
tax levy as it has been prepared by the
FINANCE Committee is published in full
this morning and constitutes news Of
paramount importance to taxpayers.
The Finance Committee has used its
knife Of economy unsparingly upon the
rax-eatiug departments of the city.
Useless expenditures, which have been
proposed. have been denied. ENtraVa-
gauce in many public Offices has been
stopped Sineoures have been de-
strovad and a financial administration
modelled upon fair business methods
and principles has been established.
Contemplated improvements Of per
-uanent character have been delayed
because of the approaching regime OF
The bonding system Politicians for
once have been sacrificed 10 the public
welfare. and thn taxpayer for the first
time in many years has been given an
advantage over the taN-eater.
Thr Finance Committee i'm fixing the
rate ar sT0-3 asks total revenue
which is SI.1I6.97- o2 less than it was for
The fiscal year which ends to-day. This
viii give c.oa" idea of the sweeping
economy which has been observed. 1t
IS most unusual for q great municipal
itv 10 reduce lis annual revenue over
eleven hundred thousand dollars in a
single year. bat this is what the Fin
ance Committee Of the Board OF Super
v;sors has done The amount Of money
appropriated for the fiscal year which
IS just ending was $1,000. 555 03. The
amount which must suffice for the COM
ing fiscal year is $4.g3o57S.
Auditor Wells estimated that the To-
cal government could he run economic
aIIy for So. .4sS. -. the sum of $2.S07,f95
To- be used during the six months which
will ensue under the consolidation act
and the sum of s., COOS for the first six
months under the charter. This total
was s5S7.4l3 o3 less than was provided
FOR the fiscal year just ending. But the
Finance Committee was not satisfied
with the Auditors estimates, which. de
Quoting $l.40S,142 to be raised from
sources other than taxation, would
make a tax rate Of 81 10 on every 500
on an assessed valuation of $3.50, coo 600.
The Finance Committee believed that
II could do better than this and the
pruning knife began to work upon the
Auditors estimates. The result is now
what The Finance Committee recon-
mends The Auditors estimate is cut
from 50, 46S,l42 to $4,93S.51S. a decrease of
$5.9564, and a total decrease from the
appropriation for the closing year Of
Sl.ll6.977 03. OF the $4.93S.57S required
by the Finance Committee to conduct
the local government s, ,43S,57S Will be
raised from sources other than taxa
tlon. leaving $3,500,000 to be raised in
taxes at 81 on every 500 on an assessed
valuation of $3.50. .000, 600 The total tax
alton of $4,93S.57S is divided into the
sum of S2,506 539 for the six months re-
manning under the consolidation act.
and g. 432 ,039 for the first six months
under the charter.
IN tins way the Supervisors honor
their pledge TO a dollar limit on an as
sessed valuation Of $3.50, 900 600. But the
board is also pledged to provide a de
fcit Of $4,000 and an appropriation OF
$1250 coo for St Mary's Park. This
makes total Of $255 900. which viii re-
quire an additional tax of 7.3 cents,
making the total rate SL072.
In making the enormous reduction
required by their pledge the Finance
Committee have entered with economi-
cal purpose into every municipal de-
partment. The strictest economy will
be a necessity if both ends are to meet
during the coming fiscal year. The ad
vertising bills have been heavily cut.
The Assessor is given $50 600 instead of
$4,000 for extra clerks. The fund for
the preparation Of the. assessment roll
in the Auditors Clfice has been di-
mfnished. The contingent expenses OF
the City and County Attorney have
been withheld The Coroner feels the
knife on some OF his perquisites. The
exempt fremen's relief fund which
was enriched this year by $4,000, finds
no provision whatever.
And so the knife Of economy cuts
through all departments. In the fire