Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-19

Tn order TO arrive at definite con
clusion as to the assets Of the city, |
within the control Of Council, William |
p White, chairman of the finance com |
mittee. which has in hand the matter |
of fixing the tax rate for the next fiscal /
wear. has called upon City Auditor /
Beniamin l.. Spence for a report on all /
outstanding taxes for the past six |
wears. the instructions to Mr. Spence /
being to go over all of the tax books /
aimee 1900 and ascertain just what !
amount of money is due the city in |
taxes. Mr.. Spence is understood to /
have started the work and Chairman |
White hopes to have the figures in /
time to make his calculations when the
committee begins the work of figuring |
or next years tax rate.
After the figures for the several /
wears are placed in the committees s |
hands they will be gone over carefully |
and an effort will be made to de- !
termine the exact amount Immediately !
oollectable, with a view to enforcing
payment Of the money. Some Of the
taxes-including several large amounts
ARE tied up in litigation, and this
money cannot be counted on until the
properties involved are out OF the
courts. In one or two cases the money
70 be derived from this source is un-
certain, in view of the fact that the
properties upon which they we're levied
are in bankruptcy and until there is
q settlement in the bankruptcy pro
eeedings it will not be known what
percentage of the claims will be paid.
With absolute knowledge as to the
amount of the back taxes, Mr.. White
holds, the committee will know how
to proceed. By back taxes Mr.. White
does not confine himself to the delin-
auent taxes, but includes that which
Is owing for the year 1905, which will
not become delinquent until next Sep
tember. The amount of these taxes
was the subject of a discussion re-
Gently. Mr.. White, in an interview,
said he had been informed that the
amount exceeded 500, 600, while Tax
Collectors George II. Mccall and
Eugene NJ. Sayers say that the amount
is less, although, when they made this
assertion, they were not prepared to
give the figures. What Chairman
White wants to know is the amount
that is due, for without that informa-
tion the committee will be very much
in the dark. 1t also wants informa-
tlln uc W nOM AlNIn All1MHN ID 0MAnk
for preceding years, and, if there is
any doubt about the ability of the city
to collect any of it, the reasons there
for.
''Whst the committee wants to
know, said Mr.. White, in discussing
the matter with a reporter of Every
Evening, :" is just what the assets of
Wilmington are. ! consider the back
taxes among the best,.assets, and / see
no reason why theyn ncannot be collected.
When we find out the total amount, we
will be in a position to make definite
move. While back taxes cannot be
considered as so much cash in hand,
they can be considered an obligation
the payment of which the city can
enforce. That being the case, CON
slider them very much of an asset, aud
| also feel that they should cut very
much of a figure in estimating on next
years receipts. "
Judging by Mr.. Whites remarks, it
is the intention of Council to make
every effort to close out the old tax
lists as soon as possible. 1t is the
desire to get as much of the money in
this year as can be gotten, and with
that end in view litigation is in pros
pect.
Fixing the tax rate is purely bust.
ness proposition. The finance com
mittee wrestles with this detail
FIRST, 1t Is necessary to ascertain the
amount OF probable expenditures dur
ing the ensuing fiscal year. in each
department. In this connection, al
of the money raised, with the excep
tion of about $50, 600, must be appro
priated as the law directs, going chief,
to departments not directly under IN,
control of Council, the latter bod,
having the disposal Of only abou
$50, 900. After the amount of the ex
pendltures Is ascertained, the commit
fee learns the probable amount o
revenue aside from that derived b,
taxation. It is then a matter of de
ducting the fixed revenue from tb
amount required, which shows tn
amount necessary to be raised by taxa
tion. The assessment having been re
vised and footed up, it is an easy mat
ter to determine the rate of taxation
thereon necessary to produce the none
needed.
The Board of Assessment. Revisio
and Appeals is now sitting for tn
purpose Of hearing appeals from th
assessment, and it will be in sessio
the remainder of the month. Appeal
are neard and If there is a reduction
IN the assessment Of any proIertie
the changes are entered on the book
made by the assessors, after which tn
books are ready to be footed up.
No definite calculation can ever b
made as to the total assessment unit
the Board of Assessment, Revisio
and Appeals completes its work, bu
u IS said, from an observation of tn
books, as they now stand, the tota
real estate assessment in the city, thi
year, IS about s47, OOO,O 600 A tax rat
OF Sl.5O, which is that for the curren
year. would yield sos, 600 in take
on this amount of assessment, whic
= would bring the total revenue up {
about $500, 200. 1t cannot be stated
at this time, however, that this vii
oe the rate, OF that this is the amour
OF the assessment.
1t is said that about $500, 600 a yea
ls necessary to run the city governmer
properly, and because this amount
not available each year it is imposs
BILE to do many things that ought I
be done, such as improving streets an
doing other similar work.
Chairman White saws it is the inter
ion OF Council to again appeal to th
legislature to allow the city to hay
ntlssst -poxtien of themoney derive