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
AWAY SHORT OF EXPENDITURE
SAME SITUATION IN FAIR.
VIEW

The Board OF Commerce has gather
ed data throwing a few sidelights on
the cost of annexing new territory TO
the city7-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 of mere bigness %
territory and for a swollen census roll
OF reputation, the cost of annexlng
outlying territory is likely to~be over
looked. An examination of the rec
ords shows thatw thin five years after
the present Sixteenth ward was an.
nexed the amount OF city taxes levied
here amounted to $196,753, while the
amount allowed for sewers alone was
$224,10 and for other permanent I'M
provements nearly $4,000. In other
words, the ward didn't come within
SIG, 900 of paying for its own per-
manent improvements, and did not
contribute one cent toward the main
tenance of the different departments
within its own borders. not cent to.
NdIu tic StHtIdi tApCnoCo VI
cipal administration.
The histor yof the Eighteenth ward
is In some particulars almost repeti-
ton of that of the Sixteenth, although
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 in this ward
since annexation has been as follows:
1861 $175,661; 1908, $195.211;
1909. $20s.S44; total, $579,716.
THE amount paid out In this dis
trict for permanent improvements,
and interest and sinking fund on
bonded Indebtedness incurred before
annexation have bee as follows: 1861,
S2O1 ,179; 1908, S133,060; 190S-9, $24S,-
239: total, $5S2,47s.
Only a small proportio OF this Is for
sinking fund as the accounts do not
appear separately after the first year.
In other words, the ward, even II all
its taxes were paid, has not quite paid
for It's own permanent improvements,
leaving the whole expenses within its
own borders OF schools, fire, lighting
public works and police departments
as well as its share of the cost OF gen.
eral city administration, to fall as a
burden upon the taxpayers OF other
wards.
.If. for the year 1909-1910, the as
sessment of the ward increases at
the same rate as Ii has the past three
wears. and the tax rate itself Is $lo
on the thousand, the taxes In the ward
will amount to about 1888, 900. while
the interest and sinking fund and
permanent improvements asked
amount to 100000. or the perma-
nent improvements for which appro-
priations were made the first three
years. $27S.234 was for sewers. or
the $4,000 asked for the next year
s114.OO0 is for the same purpose. III
a thickly populated ward, convenient
to the River Rouge and already part
ly provided with sewers makes such
a 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 Fairview IN
1907 was a kind OF necessity, partly
because the inhabitants Of that village
we're obviously incapable Of self-gov-
eminent. and partly because It's drain
age system was menace to the
health of the city. But Fairview has
been an expensive luxury. It's assess
ment in 1907 was s3,G6S,6SO. and its
tax levy, II It had been collected, was
s56,278. The next year the assess
ment was $3,97S790 and the tax levy
s5S.2O1. Yet in 1908 the appropria-
tions were 100000 for sewer and out
let: 100000 for pumping station anc
machinery, $12, 402 for interest on vii
Iage and township bonds. The next
year the appropriations were 1926
for interest and adjusted indebtedness.
ls42.679 for the citys portion OF claim
of Cleveland Trinidad Paving Co. for
having 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
i the same period aggregate $1l4.47S,
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 $6s.000. The
special appropriations asked are "a
follows: Sinking fund. $4,000; interest
Tss.675: pumping station and sewer IN
addition to appropriations heretofore
made, $102, 800: four bridges over Fox
creek and canal, $4,000; total, Sl34.
s75
This again is about double the larg
est amount that can be expected In
the way OF taxation from this portion
NJ the Seventeenth ward"