Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-10
Charter Changes the Cause.
COUNTY LEVY SAME AS LAST YEAR
sixteen and Fourteenth Mills VIII
BE the Rate.


That the county levy will stand practi-
cally as 1t was last year appears to be
agreed upon by the county commissioners.
The present understanding is the levy will
be 1874 mills instead OF 1873 mills, as It
was last year, but owing to the increased
valuation of property this year the lower
levy will raise as much as the higher one
last year.
Commissioner Solomon is the only one OF
the commissioners who has announced his
opposition to the plan. Mr.. Solomon wants
reduction of at least a mill on botn the
road and bridge funds. The levy may be
made Saturday morning.
At the meeting Saturday the commits
sioners will pass on about $4,000 In old
bills. some OF which have been hanging
fire for year or more and almost half Of
which were inherited from the previous
board. Warrants will be issued for these
bills, and with a balance OF $4,000 In the
general fund and the transfer OF $4,000
from other funds to the general fund all
but about $4,000 Of these warrants can be
taken up at once After that Il will be
the policy Of the commissioners to allow
bills monthly. BY August 1, 1907. they be-
lieve they will be able to pay bills in
CURED during the month on the first OF
the month following. placing the county
practically on a cash basis.
When this is done. they declare, the g.
mill levy for the general fund will pay
the running expenses OF the county and
the other FUNDS can be materially reduced.
To reduce the levy now, they point out
would make It impossible to pay on the
back bills and place the county on a
monthly payment basis. County Auditor
Smith and his deputy, Guy Solomon, have
recently made estimates that it requires
about $27b,0O0 each year in the general
fund to pay current expenses. This is
approximately, the amount that would be
raised by a s-mill levy on the present
valuation.
Chairman IRE OF the charity committee
points out one decided advantage Of the
monthly payment plan. When the bids for
coal were called for a promise was made
to the bidders that bills would be allowed
monthly. The bid on coal for the INDECENT
poor by c. b, Havens & Co. was 1878 a
ton, as against A.lO a ton the year before,
although coal has increased in price. A
representative OF the arm declared the low
bid was due 10 the fact the commissioners
promised to pay monthly. Some Of the coal
bills to be allowed Saturday are a year
old. Where bidders expect to wait six
months or year for their money It is
said to be the common practice 10 increase
prices several per cent. The decrease in
the coal bid cited by Mr.. IRE is about
per cent.
The question of transferring the So. 900
from the road. bridge and minor funds will
probably come up Saturday morning In
case this is done IL is the Intention to re-
duce the levy In the interest sinking fund
2-lO OF MILL in the soldiers relief fund
lilo OF a mill and either the road OF the
bridge fund lie Of a mill. The soldiers
relief fund has been getting $40 OF a mill.
the maximum under the law. The money
expended each year from the fund amounts
to about 5000 With the balance now in
the fund and money raised by 2-lO mill
levy the fund will contain 81. 900, or 8. 600
more than the average yearly expenditure