The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-06
TAX RATE UP $I.5I
COUNTY RATE FOR 1901 FIXED AT
1856 PER 81 600.
THE HIGHEST ON RECORD.
NINETY-FoUR CENTS OF INCREASE
GOES TO EDUCATION.

Cost of Running the Courts and the
Further Increase-Charity Appro-
priation Also Larger-The COmhin-
ed state and County Tax Rate $13
Per $1,000.
The county tax rate for 1901 has been
fixed at $756 a thousand, or $1.51 more
than last year. The rate is higher than
any in the history of the county. The
highest rate in previous years was in
1898, when the amount was $6.49 per
thousand.
The new rate was decided upon at
a special meeting of the County Com
misssioners. Vice Chairman Moore and
Commissioners Lathrop and Vetsburg
were present. The caucus lasted for
over an hour, and the commissioners
figured as close as they could. 1t was
found that the budget submitted to the
!. and jury last March was out and that
Ilore money would be required.
With the appropriations for educa-
tional purposes and several other adj
ditions, it was figured that the countys
expenditures amounted to $259, 346. Sc.
The total assessed value of property is
$31, $50 ,612, and at $7.56 the amount re-
ceived would be $239, 346. 66. Added to
this is money from insolvent costs and
from taxes on corporations amounting
to 500, 900, making up the sum required
to see the county through the year.
There is much talk as to large in
crease in the tax rate. The Board of
Education takes $109,O73.9s from the
county during the present year. The
appropriations for 1901 are represented
by 9,073. 9S, with $4,000 that the coun-
~ was unable to pay last year. These
sums given for educational purposes are
responsible for "a cents of the increase
on each thousand dollars.
The remaining increase of 81 cents
is accounted for by the commissioners
by the increase in the costs of run
ming the court and maintaining the
county's system of sanitation. The
county had found the handling of
smallpox patients an expensive item,
while both courts have been a steady
drain on the treasury. 1t was found
necessary to increase the appropria-
tons for the courts by $1,000 for each
of the tribunals.
The charity appropriation was in
creased by 81, 800 and the already heav-
lily loaded budget had other burdens
placed upon it, of which $500 goes to
the Day Nursery of the Kings Daugh-
tiers. The sum given by the county to
charities amounts to $4,000. The chain
gang expenditure was reduced from
$4,000 to $4,000.
county official stated it as his
opinion that the public school system
and the maner of running the courts
is in a large measure responsible for
the heavy increase in the tax rate.
In his opinion branches of education
are in vogue in the schools of Chat
ham county that are needless and that
cause much money to be expended that
could be saved if the schools were
conducted diffe4 entity. 1t is commended.
100 that non-re-idents are able to
work their way into the schools of the
county when they have no right 20,
making the burden on the county so
much heavier.
The courts, too, eat up large sums
of money and the jury system is
thought by many to be all wrong.
Panel after panel, it is charged. is
needlessly called at an expense of 81
per juror to the county. Much of the
stationary too, that is bought by the
county is wasted. it is charged, and
with proper handling the appropri-
ations for the courts could be greatly
reduced rather than increased. Some
of the county offers think that there
is a considerable leakage in this
branch. The new rate with the in
creased state rate puts the combined
tax rate at S13 per thousand or 80
cents more than the highest on record,
that of 1903