The San Francisco call., 1904-07-03
ROLL EXCEEDS
HALF BILLION
Assessor Dodge Submits His
Completed Annual Report
to Board Of Supervisors
INCREASE is ENORMOUS
City'S Revenue Is Greater
Owing to Higher Valua-
tiOns Put on Real Estate

Assessor Dodge yesterday filed with
the Board of Supervisors his annual
report, showing that the assessment
roll for 1904 aggregates the sum Of
SSH, ,oOO, ,414, an increase Of SSS,5oO, 900
over that for 1909. The report fol-
lows:
ITO the Honorable Board OF Super
visors Of the City and County Of San
Francisco:
"Gentlemen-The assessment roll for
1904. which is herewith delivered to you,
shows z phenomenal increase over that
Of last year. This increase amounts to
SIS. 800, 600, bringing the taxable prop
erty in this city up 10 $511.0o0,414
"As q result OF this large increase.
your honorable board has recently been
enabled 10 reduce the tax rate eight
cents on the hundred. Notwithstand-
ing this reduction in the rate, there Will
stil be at your disposal, owing TO this
increased roll. about q million dollars,
raised By taxation, in excess Of the sum
which was available last year. This
excess has been about equally divided
between permanent public improve
ments and the necessary interest and
sinking fund for the proposed public
Improvement bond
TAX RATE is LOWER.
The full significance Of this increas-
ed roll viii be comprehended when we
reflect that, were our municipal ex-
penditures this year no greater than
those Of last year, instead Of dollar
rate for running expenditures, as pro-
vided by the charter, the tax rate for
this purpose would have been but
eighty-fve cents. AS it is, the total
tax rate for this year for all purposes,
municipal and State, viii probably be
less than that Of last year owing to
this increased assessment roll.
six years ago the assessment roll
OF this city was S352, ,O00. 900. To this
there has been added during my term
s54. 600 900 Of personal property and
s105, ,O00 600 Of real estate. giving US the
present roll Of S51l. .0O0,000 This in
crease in the assessment roll gives to
the city at the dollar rate of taxation
a yearly revenue OF one and a half mil
lions Of dollars greater than that which
it formerly had.
GE4AL ESlAlE ENgOAlJlLED-
The increase in the roll this year
Is due entirely to the increase made
IN the assessed valuation Of real es-
tate. Real estate, however, has not
been uniformly increased, but it has
been equalized, so that in all parts of
the city il is now assessed on the same
basis Of valuation The main increase
has fallen on that real estate, the value
Of which. during the past few years,
has steadily increased.
In addition TO making this assess
ment, this Office has, during the past
ninety days, collected and turned into
the city treasury the sum Of $500, 600
as taxes On unsecured personal prop
erty.
In conclusion, it is gratifying to
know that our city finances are now
on q sound basis. Deficits and unpaid
obligations are now unknown. With
our present revenues, raised by mod
crate tax rate, we should be able TO
provide many necessary public i'm
provements as well as TO beautify our
city without incurring in every in
stance a bonded Indebtedness.
Very respectfully yours,
WASHINGTON DODGE,
Assessor"