Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-01
TAX REVISION
CommIilee Tailed Over Matters
 d MesIIpe Lssi Night.

The taxation revision committee
 met last night in the aldermanic chamber and exchanged opinions on the subject. Alderman Gallagher presided and explained the purpose for which the committee was created to consider the present system of taxation. which Is admittedly h. equitable, and report substitute therefore to the board of aldermen.
 Besides Mir Gallagher there were present George A. Driggs. E. B. Reil- ey, A. H. Wells, Daniel J. Mahaney, Senator Tracy, Hobart Welton, Mar tin J. McEvoy. Most of the other members reported that they could not be present last night, but that they hoped to be able to attend all future sessions. After the commit tee started in to discuss the question they saw several obstacles, notably the town school districts, but accord ing as they became more familiar with 1t this did not appear insur- mountable, although 1t was stated that any change looking towards the wiping out of the town school dis tricts would arouse tremendous opposition. All were agreed that If the city Is to continue making cer- tain kinds of improvements in the outside districts these districts will have to pay more, but it didn't ap- pear quite plain how this could be arranged without inflicting hard ship upon property that is almost valueless and will not have or need public Improvements for many years. The system of taxation in Waterbury Is peculiar. In gener- al way 1t might be said that one dis trict pays IA S-10 miles on the dol lar, another 12 8-10 and another 5. In some instances portions of dis tricts where the rate does not ex- ceed 5 mills, plus what they pay as town school tax, there are as many improvements and more as you find In portions of the full taxation district. In like manner, the district known as the second outside, where the rate is 12 8-10 mills parts of it have lights, sewers, sidewalks, wa ter, fire and police protection, while sections of the full district have none. How to adjust these inequal- tiles is the sort of job the commit tee has on its hands, and while 1t might appear simple enough the committee didn't see 1t that way last night.
 In the opinion of some the board of aldermen is responsible for the whole trouble in ordering public im- provements in districts where prop erty cannot be assessed for them on an equitable basis and where it was not intended that such work should be done under the present method of assessing property. The alder men have gone beyond where the law allows them and now 1t is almost impossible to turn back and much more difficult to apply the remedy than it would be If the first petition for something the people asking 1t could not be assessed for had been denied on the ground that the alder men had no right to grant 1t until after they had come into the full taxation district which they had a right to do by majority vote of it's electors of their district. In this way 1t would be up to the people themselves to decide whether they preferred to pay and get what they wanted or let things go on in the old way. But the aldermen didn't do this. They started in to do work in the second outside district, just the same as if they were paying the full tax levy, and once people saw this they pressed their claims and every one that succeeded prompted others to come forward.
 The water question was also aired and the fact stated that one district pays practically all the cost of build ing and maintaining the system and the outside district which is not tax ed anything for these purposes gets the water at the same rate as those who carry the added burden. In op- position to this it was stated that the plant maintains itself and the inside people get all the profit. The committee elected John F. Gallagher permanent chairman and Martin J. McEvoy secretary.
 The board remained in session for over three hours.