The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-05-21
For Blame to Rest Where it
Belongs.
SCHOOL BOARD GUILTY
If City Tax Levy is Boosted
This Year.
The c. D. q M. officials are Grant
ed a IS Year Franchise for the
Bucyrus Extension.

If the city tax levy is boosted this
year, the blame must be placed
against the board of education. At
least that's what the members of the
city council claim, and they have no
hesitancy in making a public an
Inouncement to that effect.
At regular meeting of the council,
held Monday evening, the members
bewaled the fact that the council in
Ivariably gets the blame for increases
in the tax levy. The truth of the
matter is, according to the assertions
of the councilmen, it is unjust tc
censure them for the size of the levy,
when they are generally the last ones
who might be held responsible.
II was member of the school
board 10 years" City Clerk Fies stat
ed, Monday evening, "and during all
that time, 1 did not receive a single
word of censure because of the tax
| levy. am rot saying that we really
spent any money needlessly, but what
we did spend had its effect on the
tax duplicate"
The question of the annual tax levy
was brought up by j. e. Phillips,
chairman of the finance committee,
who gave figures to show that If the
levy is increased this year, the in
crease will be made in order to meet
needs of the school board
"It looks as though we will have
to shut down on our street improve
Iments in order to care for our child
rem" said Mr.. Phillips. He stated
that it had been planned to pass the
annual tax levy ordinance at this
meeting, but owing to the fact that
a communication had been received
from the board of education. announc-
ing that an addition of two and a
half mills will be needed for the
schools, action on the ordinance was
deferred.
"The council had expected to lower
the city levy slightly, but If the
school board insists on this addition
to its levy we will probably have to
raise the total levy" said Mr.. Phil
lips. He announced that the finance
committee will meet with the school
board as soon as possible, and en-
deavor to, devise some way Of cutting
down the increase sought by the
board.
Mr.. Phillips stated that the corpora
tion levy for Marion compares very
favorably with the levies in other
growing cities in Ohio and in fact is
considerably below the average. He
named probably 20 OF the leading
smaller cities, which have levies
larger than that of Marion.
Figures were given to show that
the school board. has been raising its
levy continually. In 1908, Mr.. Phil
lips said the levy for school purposes
was So mills and in 1904 It was 8
mills. In 1905, the board asked that
the levy be raised to nine mills. but
the board of equalization, which then
had the authority to revise the levy,
cut 1t down to s 12 mills. In 1906,
the board again levied 1-2 mills,
and now 1t wants to boost the levy
, to 10 1-2 mills.
City Solicitor Donithen said that
the Increase was not wanted for bonds
4 or new buildings, but to meet an
increase in salaries and the conting-
I ent account.
Last year" said Mr.. Phillips, "the
\ city levy was 15.i5 mills. We had
hoped to lower this to 40 mills
but the wants of the school board
promise to make this impossible !"
Mr.. Phillips announced that tho
state levy for this year will be 1.s45
mills, county bitches five mills, while
the estimate levy for county pur-
pooes is 6.955 mills and for township,
1-2 mill.
The tax levy ordinance will be
adopted at the next meeting of the
council
with the coming of spring, activity
in interurban railway circles is he
Ing resumed. Representatives of the
Findlay-Marion company and the C.
ID. & M. were present and an extern
sion OF time was given on another
Representatives of the Findlay-Marlon
stated that It is certain that their
road will be built this year.
A resolution was introduced, ex-
tending the time for commencing the
Findlay-MariOn road from June /.
1907 to September |, 1907. The res
olution was adopted after il had been
explained that there has b.en delay in
Financing the enterprise.
"Mr. Meeker, the president of the
company, called me up today and
asked me to request the council for
this extension of tlme," stated j. w.
Jacoby, attorney for the company.
"He stated that there is practically
no question that the line will be built
hut that there has beon some delay
In financing It,. The depressed CON