The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-03-30
NEW TERRITORY IS
VERY EXPENSIVE
LUXURY
TAX LEVY OF SIXTEENTH AND
EIGHTEENTH WARDS FALLS
SHORT OF EXPENDITURE
SAME SITUATION IN FAIRvIEW.

The Board of Commerce has gather
ed data throwing few sidelights on
the cost of annexing new territory 10
the city. showing that the experience
in recent years Is that the suburbs
taken In have cost the city more than
they have contributed In the way OF
taxes. The report follows:
In the ambition for mere bigness OF
territory and for a swollen census roll
Of population, the cost of annexng
outlying territory is likely To be over
looked. An examination OF the ie&.
ords show that within five years after
the present sixteenth ward was an
nexed the amount OF city taxes levied
there amounted to S19G,I53. while the
amount allowed for sewers alone. was
s22f,i00 and for other permanent I'M
pro, ements nearly $4,000. IN other
words, the ward didn't come within
$4,000 OF paying for it's own per-
maLent improvements. and did no.
contribute one cent toward the main
tenance Of the different departments
within its own borders. not q cent to-
ward the general expenses OF NUM-
cipal administration.
The history OF the Eighteenth ward
is In some particulars almost repeti'
ton OF that OF the Sixteenth, although
a portion OF the Eighteenth when an
nexed was already thickly settled. and
had within its borders several large
manufacturing establishments. The
amount OF city tax levied i'll this ward
since annexation has been as follows:
1907. s175.661; 1908, $195,211;
1909, S20S,Si4; total, $579,716.
The amounts paid out in this dis
trict for permanent Improvements,
and interest and sinking fund on
bonded Indebtedness incurred before
annexation have been as follows;
1867, $2Ol.179: 1903. sl33,060;
1909. $24S,239; total $5S2.47S.
Only a small proportion of this is for
sinking fund. az the accounts do net
appear separately after the first year.
In other words, the ward. even II all
its taxes were paid. has not quite pail
for its own permanent improvements.
leaving the whole expense within It's
own borders OF schools. fire. lighting.
public works and police departments,
as we'll as it's share OF the cost OF gem
eral city administration, 10 fall as a
burden upon the taxpayers Of other
wards.
IF, for the year 1909-19l0. the as
sessment of the ward increases at
the same rate as 1t has the past three
years, and the tax rate itself Is SIG
on the thousand, the taxes In the ward
will amount to about 1898. 900. while
the interest and sibking fund and
permanent improvements asked
amount to 100000. or the perma-
nent improvements for which appro-
printions were made the FIRST three
years. $27S,234 was for sewers. OF
the 100000 asked for the next year
$4,000 is for the same purpose. IL
thickly populated ward, convenient
to the River Rouge and already part
ly provided with sewers makes such
demand upon the sewer fund. one
can imagine what will be the cost Of
a system big enough to drain the corn
fields and cabbage patches of Green
field township as far as the seven-mile
road and Twelfth-s... as proposed by
one OF the pending annexation
schemes.
The annexation OF Falrview in
1907 was kind o. necessity. partly
because the inhabitants of that village
were obviously inca pable of sclf-gov-
eminent. and partly because its drain
age system was a menace to the
health of the city But Fairview has
been an expensive luxury. It's assess
ment in 1907 was s3.G6S,6 $50, and it's
tax levy, II II had been collected, was
S56,27S. The next year the assess
ment was $3,97S,790 and the tax levy
SOS, 201. Yet in 1903 the appropria-
tions were 100000 for sewer and out
let: 100000 for pumping station anG
machinery, $12.402 for interest on VII
lage and township bonds. The next
year the appropriations were 1926
for interest and adjusted Indebtedness.
$42.679 for the city's portion of claim
of Cleveland Trinidad Paving Co. for
paving Jefferson-ave.. $4,000 for two
bridges. and $3,420 for maintenance Of
the pumping station, This gives a
total for the two years of $231,757 OF
special appropriations for the district
without taking into account current
local expenses or the general cost of
city government. The taxes levied for
the same period aggregate s114,47S,
or a little less than half the special
expenses. A liberal estimate for the
increase in assessment and rate OF
taxation for the coming year would.
give a tax levy OF about s6S.000 The
special appropriations asked are as
follows: Sinking fund. $4,000; interest.
$3.50 pumping station and sewer in
addition to appropriations heretofore
made. 100000; four bridges over Fox
creek and canal, $4,000; total. 1884,
975.
This again is about double the larg-
est amount that can be expected in
the way of taxation from this portion