The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-13
THE CITY TAX RATE.
The Montgomery Delegates Explain
 Their Position.

Editor The Advertiser:
 Some misapprehension seems to nave
 arisen with reference to the amend ment made as to the City of Montgom-
 cry to Section Il of the Article on Mu-
 nicipal Corporations.
 It will be remembered that under the Constitution of 1875 the City of Mont
 gomery has a right to levy 50 cents for general purposes on every one nun dred dollars of taxable property ana an additional one dollar upon every one
 hundred dollars of taxable property to pay interest upon the indebtedness or the City existing in 1875, making to-
 tai rate of $1.50 upon every one hun dred dollars. For more than twenty
 years the City Council has been, levy ing SLIP 1-2 on the one hundred dol lars, and although this levy of taxes was recognized by many as being more | than was authorized by law, yet 1t was | conceded upon all sides that 1t was nec- essary to pay the expenses Of the clty government and to pay the interest on | its public debt. Every citizen of Mont gomery takes pride in the beauty or its pavements and the cleanliness Of It's
 streets. and it's magnificent water ana splendid sewerage system, all of which have been accomplished by the levy of
 this tax, and bonds have been issued to pay for these improvements, to-
 gether with our magnificent school
 buildings and our park.
 We recognized the fact that if the new Constitution limited the rate of taxation to $1.25 for all purposes, the
 credit and good faith of this city could | be preserved, and We also recognized
 the fact that unless the city had the l legal right to levy at least $1.12 1-2 on
 $1OO, default in the interest of our pub
 lie debt must of necessity follow, and our improvements would of necessity cease. and those we have go to rack.
 Even if the City Council should go to
 the limit of said rate, of $1.25 on Sl0O' the increase in taxes would only be | ? 1-2 cents on the $100 over what every citizen in Montgomery now pays be- cause the tax rate for the State has been reduced 10 cents on the $lOO, and if the tax rate for the City of Mont
 gomery is not hereafter to be larger
 than SLIP 1-2 on the $100. the total of State, county and city taxes would be | 10 cents on the dollar less than each | citizen now nays. It must be borne in
 mind that fixing the rate of taxation beyond which the city shall not go, and levying a tax rate by the city. are two different things The fixing of the limit at s125 on the dollar, does not mean that the city will make that the rate of taxation, put only means that the City Council cannot, under any cir
 cumstances, go beyond that rate. No citizen of Montgomery desires the city
 to default on it's interest or fail to meet
 its expenses, and we urged upon the
 Convention the adoption of this amend
 ment because we believed, and still be-
 lieve. 1t to be for the best interests of
 all our people. and because we believed,
 and now believe. that no patriotic citi-
 zen of Montgomery. understanding the full facts and the necessities of the case, would have voted otherwise. Respectfully,
 Thos. H. Watts
 Tennent Lomax,
 Edward A. Graham, Thos C. Jones,
 Gordon Macdonald.