Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-29
NOW CONSIDERING TAX RATE
County Commissioner Differ az To Amount
Of This Years Levy,
THIRTIETH STREET BOULEVARD FIGURES
with Increased Assessment County
May Have Funds for Improve
ment of Thirtieth from
Fort to Florence.

Small complaints were threshed through
so rapidly yesterday that the members
OF the Board OF Equalization begin to have
visions OF finishing their work July 3, in
stead Of July 10. as It was thought at one
time would be necessary. The day the
equallzing is finished the levy will be voted.
1t is the amount Of this levy that is be-
coming the great problem with the board.
Chairman Ostrom is Inclined TO favor a
small decrease. Harte wants II kept at
last years figure, which was PAS mills.
Connolly wants 1t reduced to the lowest
possible notch. O'Keeffe thinks It should
be kept high enough to permit making a
reduction in the county's bonded indebted
ness, which was 1915 900. when the last
statement was made. Hofeldt is non-com-
initial az this time.
The explanations that the various COM
missioners give are based on conjectures,
but Ostrom and Connolly both said Saturday
morning that the valuation total will un-
doubtedly be $25, ZOO, 900 or over, as against
$22, 3s1, 729.0S for 1901.
Plan to Pave Boulevard.
ostrom was one of the original promoters
Of the plan to pave the Thirtieth street
boulevard from Fort to Florence and this
necessarily figures In his calculations. The
| UOdTu mas Dten given All ebllLuhle u Sl.@u
per foot for the work, and as the dis
lance is practically two miles this would
mean a cost Of $12, 1872. OF this amount he
believes Florence would raise 1000 and
thinks the board could secure from the
courts a modification Of Judge Scott's order
enjoining the board from using 81, 700 In the
permanent road fund for work anywhere
but on Dodge and Center streets. II per-
mitted to use this and adding the Florence
contribution the board could do the work
with $4,000 from the next levy. But he
doesn't know II the public favors this and
he may propose a mass meeting Of county
taxpayers, to be held before the levy is
made, that there may be general express
sion on this and other propositions that
affect the levy.
He says that for several years the gen
eral fund has been inadequate by $40, 900 to
$50, 900. but that this year the 9-mill levy
will be sufficient. Last year 1t was $201,-
1876. The road fund, which, at 2 mills, was
$44. 1853 last year, depends on the Thirtieth
street proposition just mentioned.
Chance to Help General Fund.
There might he some saving in the SOL
diers' relief fund, which at 8 mill levy
last year amounted to S6,714. but he con-
siders that in the bridge fund, which at 80
mills last year amounted to 81, 621, there
is a chance to help the general fund. II a
full levy is made for 1t he reasons there
would be a surplus in It at the end OF the
fiscal year and this could be credited to
the general fund to cancel the accumulated
entries against the latter. The levy for
the general fund can be only 9 mills, and
while this will be sufficient to meet the
years demands this year other resources
must be drawn on to cancel the indebted
ness resulting from the deficits OF former
years. The bond sinking fund, he says,
cannot be made large enough to take up
the bonds as they come due. anyhow. At
the maximum levy Of 81 mills last year 1t
was given $50. 43o.
Connolly's reason for advocating the low
est possible levy is that 1.-THE people" will
expect 1t In view Of the raise in assessed
valuation. but Harte advocates a directly
opposite course and declares that there
should be no cut at all from the PAS levy
Of last year. He says he has talked with
business men and found them In favor Of
his plan after he explained to them his
reasons.
As to Growing Debt.
He says the county has year after year
allowed its Indebtedness to grow until the
proportions now are Immense and there
must come a change of course. He declares
1t to be a fact that the principal Of the
funding and refunding bonds has been over
paid in interest by at least $50. 900 since
the first bonds of the county were voted in
1869 to give the Union Pacific bridge $3.50,
900. He considers the talk Of a new court
house especially untimely In view Of the
present one being still unpaid for and
argues that the demand for a lower assess
ment in view Of increased valuation is un-
warranted, as the bulk of the increase
comes on the large concerns whose shirk-
ing in the past is largely responsible fol
the present deficit. THE bonded indebted.
ness could and should be knocked dowr