Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-10
SIGTY.ONE MILLS The LEVY
City and School District Rats win Bet
Exceed This Amount
DUE TO THE INCREASED ASSESSMENT
Last Rate was Nearly sixty-Five
MiIls-MayOr Holds UP the
Levy Certificate for
InvesiaatiOn.

County Assessor Reed says the city and
school district tax levy rate for 1907 will
not be more than 81 mills, owing to the in
creased assessment rolls. This is mills
less than the estimate made a few days
ago. II includes IS mills for the school
district. The 1906 total levy rate for city
and schools was S49
Mayor Dahlman has held UP the levy
certificate, which requires his signature be-
fore II can be sent to the county commits
sioners. The executive wants to find out
II the H-0O0,O00 limit budget for the city
government cannot be reduced Toward
this end he has called a special meeting
Of the council for 9 o'clock Saturday morn
ing to discuss the subject and possibly re-
consider the action taken Tuesday night
In demanding all the law allows The
county commissioners have agreed to walt
until Saturday morning before making the
levy.
Mayors Action satisfes.
The fact that the mayor has delayed the
certihcation by the city had an extremely
soothing effect upon President McCague
and other officers of the Board of Educa-
ton Thursday morning. They had just
discovered that the council had clipped
mills from the Is asked for the school
revenues for the year OF 1918. The J
mills had been added to revenues to pay
for the higher wage scale for teachers eff
fective September l and for necessary
increase in the bond redemption fund. AS
the law requires the mayor and council
to follow the dictates Of the board in maxi
ing the levy for school purposes, board
officers gave themselves no concern about
the matter. When the resolution was
adopted Tuesday night no one paid any
particular attention to It, presuming that
the program would be carried out as an
nounced in advance.
Council Decides on Cut.
1t was only Thursday morning that a re-
porter ascertained that the council, by the
advice of Assistant City Attorney Dunn,
had decided to reduce the school district
levy by 8 mills. Mr.. Dunn based his
opinion on the school law requiring the
board to certify for its taxes in January
of each year. The board last January
certified for ID mills, but a close perusal Of
the document would have shown that IL
was for the year 1e06-07. Further examina-
ton of the records would have revealed
that last summer the board certified ex-
actly the same thing; that the certificate
afforded basis for the city and county
authorities to make the levy OF taxes now
being used, and that the duplication in
January was merely to keep within the
letter Of the law The statute says that
the certificate shall be for the ensuing
school year" II the board waited until
next January before certifying for the
1907-Os taxes It would fall just year be-
hind. for the levy would not be made until
August. To protect itself, and upon loyal
advice, It has followed the course OF levy
ing in advance in order to stay even with
the game. and duplicating the order for
purely formal reasons in January Of each
year.
Charter Changes the Cause.
The complications are ali caused by the
amendment to the charter consolidating
the city and county taxing and treasury
departments without making counter
amendments to the school laws.
There is no question about our posi-
ton in the matter" said President Nc
Cague. 1T is necessary for us to certify
in advance, and the action in January had
no application to the levy about to be
made"
When the council meets Saturday morn
ing 1t will have a school board delegation