Middletown transcript., 1907-07-13
THE ROAD TAX
Text of Engineer Wilson'S Report on the
Subject

Text of Engineer Wilson's Report on til
Subject
| Following is the text OF the letter sui
mitted to the Levy Court yes terday
Engineer James Wilson in regard to I'll
road tax:
i WILMINGTON, DEL, June 25th, 100
To the Levy Court of New Castle County
In pursuance of your request that
make you as approximately as I can a
estimate of the road tax rate required f,
the coming year, I beg to present to yo
the following very short report:
In the time in which I have been il
office it has not been possible for me t
become thoroughly acquainted with al
the conditions and requirements OF eacl
separate road nor indeed with those O
each hundred, and can, therefore, from
personal observance give you only al
idea Of what is needed, but as the futur
conditions both physical and climatica
of each hundred will in all likelihood b
the same as they have been in the past,
brief review of the lastfew years and thei
result coupled with what we know OF thu
present conditions of the roads and thu
financial conditions of the hundreds
should give US at least an approximate
idea of tax rate below which we should
not go. As the conditions are so differen
both by reason of nature or country, sol
and even climate it seems unfortunate, al
the first glance, that each hundred car
not set the rate to suit its own natura
requirements; this is somewhat equalized
however, by the fact that where least is
seemingly needed lesst will be raised or
account of lower assessment. The nature
of Brandywine, Christiana and Mill Greek
hundreds roads are of such difficult kind
to keep in repair that even with their
comparatively high assessments and high
rates it has not seemed possible to keep
out of debt and even the lower hundreds
with their assessments, with rates nearly
as high are apparently no better off Take
for example Brandywine hundred with
tax rate for the last year of 35 cents on
an assessment of over $780, 900, at the
end of June Both, 1905, there was only
$6048 cash on hand with bonded in
debtedness Of Sc, 900, and a floating debt
equal to its uncollected resources; the last
year the tax rate was 40 cents, the assess
ment slightly higher than before, and on
the 1st of April, 1907, the cash on hand
was $2.63; bonded Indebtedness, S., 600,
and outstanding debts, $4,343, with un-
collected resources Of about 81, 900. Chris
tiana hundred has had a continuous regu-
lar rate of rs cents on an assessment Of
about $3, ,00O, ,O00;at the ending OF the year,
June 30th, 1905, she had a floating debt
Of s., 200; cash on hand, $443. 81, and un-
collected resources OF $1,665.12, and on
April let, 1907, she owed 81, 200, had cash
on hand of 81, 1885, and s., ,65S.23 un-
collected for 1906. Mill Creek, with an
assessment of over $1,000, 900, after
several years. rate of 35 cents rose to so
cents rate, and at the end of the year
June Both, 1906, had floating indebted
ness of $1,000, cash on hand, 81, 1905 SO,
and 81 1893. 80 uncollected resources, and
with Accent rate the last year had on
April 1st, 1907, debt of $4,000 $4,000
less June 30th, 1906, cash on hand, So 40;
outstanding small bills, about $110, and
uneollected resources OF 81, ,5702S. White
Clay Creek has had a 35-cent rate for
several years back on an assessment of
about 81 1886, 900, and on April 1st, 1907,
owed in three notes $2,G50; had $59.54
cash on hand, and had about $1,000, un-
collected, New Castle hundred assessment
about So, 500, 900 had a 30-cent rate for
several years, then 20 cents for two years,
then % cents for two years more, and last
ytear 2255 cents Q eeHss ef this this said te be
special snow tax, and on April 1st,
1907, cash, $51.57; owed bonds, $1,000,
and outstanding debts of S765.02, in
cluding one 5000 note with uncolleeted
resources of $3,942.l3. Pencader up to-
two years ago had 33-cent rate since
which she has had 2S cents; assessment,
about 81, ,07O, 800, and on April 1st, 1907,
turned over cash in hand, $1.01; owed,
81, ,94074, including outstanding bills of
S748. Is and 81, 400 bonds, and has un-
resources Of over $500. Red
Lion assessment about 81 ,000, 600, with
rate Of LIS cents up to two years ago, since
which it has been % cents; on April 1st,
1907, had $113.81 cash; owed, 5000 (note
for $500 and $500, due Town Council OF
Delaware City,, and had about 5000 un-
collected. st. Georges has had con.
tinuous rate of 25 cents until last year,
when it appears as "a cents on an assess
ment of 50, $50, 155, and on April LIST,
1907, had $371.07, had reduced her
bonded indebtedness to Sc, 600. and has
like $1,000 uncollected for
1906. Blackbird has held for rate at 35
cents on an assessment of about $3.50, 600
ior several years, then dropped last year
to 80 cents, and on April lst, 1907, turned
over $632 80 cash on hand; owed $145.93
IN outstanding bills and had about $3.50
lncollected resources. APPOINTMENTS
hundred in 1900 had 40 cents, then 81,
81, So, S5 and the last year 81 cents on an
of $l,Ol6, ,ss7, and on April
Ist, 1907, had no cash on hand, one bond
If $500 due January 1st, 1908, and out
standing bills to the amount Of S368.35.
With uncollected resources Of 1881. "a for
1906.
In the item of uncollected resources it |
s to be understood that there are also
ome delinquent taxes Of previous years,
,ut there is also to be deducted from these
mounts the error lists and The percentage
or collection besides taxes chat are finally
ost. Since April 1st, 1907, the different
hundreds have had paid over to their
;redit quite a small amount of money, |
-, L,.,r A,:sa A. A. =. |