The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-01
BACK TAx$25,OOO
City'sDelinquent Tax ListGrOw-
ing Alarmingly.
City Clerks Records Give Key
to Tax Increase.
PAVING LEVY LEADS.
People Drop Rehind Heavily on
Paving Assessments.
Using Estimates of Last Two
Years, Would Equal $40, 900.

The delinquent tax list in the city OF
Topeka covering the municipal assess
ments for such purposes as pertain to
the city itself amounts to over $4,000.
The records now in the hands of City
Clerk c. B. Burge show this amount
and the list is growing heavier each
year.
If some of the people in the city won
der that the city administration finds
it necessary to keep the general taxes
at their old rates they will be able to
see through this delinquent list and
solves the problem. To have $4,000
back taxes deadening the rolls of the
treasury and necessitatfng the larger
assessments is the cause of a large
amount of extra figuring on the part @
the city officials.
The worst part of the tale told by the
delinquent black list is that it is grow
ing larger every year and the redemp-
tions are falling behind in comparison:
1t has been possible for the city to pull
out of the back tax nlire the years of
1890 and 1891 and some of the other
years have been reduced to a few cents
but the late years have leaped into
the thousands and the redemptions are
climbing slowly.
The delinquent tax list in the hands
of Mr.. Burge covers completely the time
between the years 1887 and 1909. All of
these amounts together with the exact
description of the property and all
general and special levieS is contained
in one book in the possession of the
city clerk. 1t is, by far, the most val
liable book in the vaults of the city to-
day.
In this book the lot number, the
street, the valuation, the advertised fee,
the school tax, the penalty, the Topeka
city tax and its penalty. and all special
taxes of the property are shown. Every
item and every figure in connection
with this property is told in this book
and a joy forever to the city officials
in their assessments for paving and all
public improvements.
Behind in Paving.
With the exception of the general
tax the special levies for paving give
the biggest item in the book. Each
year as the city increases its paving
improvements the delinquents along
this work add to the records until of
late years the delinquency has aver
aged over $4,000 a, year. Probably the
worst situation on the paving PROPOSE
ton is the back tax on the paving of
the north end of Kansas avenue in
North Topeka and the paving of Cen
trail avenue in this same district. The
list of ''deads'' almost fill page in the
big black book.
Topeka has taken great strides in
paving during the last few years and
this accounts for the delinquency.
The sewer work has also given the
book a black eye in late years. For
few years there was no such thing
as a sewer delinquency until the year
1899 when it took hold. Since then
it has been a regular epidemic. In
1900 it mounted to $100, and then
for the next few years it dropped on
account of a number of lucky re-
demptions. In 1904 it jumped again
to 500, the next year it flew skyward
to $1,7O0 and in 1907 it took another
soar until it was $4,000. The immense
amount of sewer work in late years
has augmented the raise.
From the very first year of dead
tax the sidewalk. tax has become a
dead letter. For the first few years
it was the only special tax to be left
in the rear of the procession until
late years when it fell behind the
other list of specials-sewer, paving
and sewer. Then in 1900 it took the
lead among the specials and ran
good race for first place. In 1907 it
amounted to over $500.
The delinquent tax list up to 1908
according to the book in the possess
sion of the city clerk records back
taxes amounting to $42,S5S.51. Of
this amount about $4,000 has been
redeemed leaving for collection $685.
900. The redemptions per year
amount to about $500.
Here is the list by years:
1887 ..................... Se1