Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-24
FIX GENERAL TAX
RATE At 85 CENTS
Property Owners in Old Portion OF
City Must Pay $1.43 on
500 Valuations
ANNEXED DISTRICTS PAY'LESS
Estimates of Nearly Every De-
partment Are Pared in
the New Budget
ANNEXED DISTRICTS PAY LESS

NaluaIlOll VIII ne tllG 6GIlClt1l leNA At'NN
for the entire city of Los Angeles. This
rate was fixed by the city council yes
terday by unanimous vote, although
some opposition had been expected.
But fixing this tax rate does not
mean that is all the money property
owners will have to pay for interest
and sinking fund on a number of bond
issues must be taken into considera-
ton In the city of Los Angeles,
proper, or what is known as the "old
lcity," the bond rate is fixed at 5S
cents. making the total tax rate for
the "old city S1.43 Different bond
rates prevail in different anneXations
but the one for the 'old city is the
highest. 1t is lowest in the Colegrove
and East Hollywood anneXations.
where the total will reach only Sc
cents.
The ordinance fixing this rate was
passed when the finance committee re-
ported the budget, but the budget was
not approved. 1t was laid over for
one week, and in the meantime the
clerk is to furnish copies to every
member of the council. President Lusk
declared. when the budget was pre-
sented, that if the council insisted on
passing the budget at once, he would
| have to be excused from voting be-
cause he was not familiar with Its
! provisions.
REVENUES INCREASED
In its report to the council the
! finance committee stated that the in
| crease in the revenue of the city from
| all sources over that of last year was
about 1872 per cent, and that this m
| crease had been apportioned among the
| departments to what seemed the best
| advantage. The estimates of every
| department, except that of the mayor,
/ j. I,,- fEn mi foo
! The reason the mayor received what
| he asked for was because he asked
! for less than he expended last year.
! His estimate includes his own salary
and that of his secretary, and very
! little margin for stamps. stationery
| and inCidentals.
The budget figures give the appear
ance that the department of public
works has been allowed more than 1t
asked, but this is not the case, as the
amount allowed includes $4,000 for
| the construction of the annex to the
city hall, an item which the board did
not include in its estimate. The estl-
mate of the board was actually pared
down more than $2500.
Discussing various features of the
budget appropriation and the advis-
ability of an S5-cent tax rate the
! finance committees report states:
! COMMII1EG'S hf1OhI
1.-THE city charter provides that a
| tax rate not to exceed per cent of the
assessed valuation may be levied for
general municipal purposes. AT the
time this provision was enacted por-
ton Of the funds for the support of the
schools was furnished by the city. The
last legislature, however, made pro
vision that all school revenues should
be included in the state and county
taxes thus relieving the city of this
amount. The city tax for school
| purposes has averaged about 10 cents.
1t would be therefore manifestly unfair
for the city council to levy tax of
more than So cents under the circum-
stances.
"Your committee has experienced
great difficulty in reducing the estl-
mates of the departments to the eX-
tent which has been necessary with
out cutting out great many items
| which were really desirable and even
necessary, and the committee desires
! TO express its appreciation of the
hearty cooperation of the various de-
partments in this matter. This has
/ been particularly true as regards the
! fire, police, park playground and pub
lie works departments, where sweep
ing reductions have been necessary.
eve desire to call the attention OF
the council to some of the more I'M
portant matters considered by the
/ committee and the actions taken
/ thereon.
FIRE DEPARTMENT CUTS
1.-THE chief Of the fire department
stated that a great deal of the hose
is unfit for use, and in the event of a
great conflagration many engines
would be put out of commission The
department asked for $4,000 for this
item. Your committee is impressed
with the Importance of the matter
and made an allowance of $4,000 for
that purpose. Several new engine
houses were asked for, but the funds
will not permit appropriations for
more than two. The city owns a lot
on Figueroa street, near Seventh,
which was purchased for the purpose
of erecting thereon a fireproof build
| ing in which should be housed CEN
tral fire alarm system for which $6O,OOO
was asked.
"The present system is located in
the city hall and is reported to be
much overloaded. In the event of the
destruction of the city hall by fire
the department would be greatly Grip
! pled for many months. The commit
tee has made provision for the build
/ ing but not for the fire alarm system,
inasmuch as it will be several months
! before a building can be erected, and
the matter of the fire alarm system
can be taken up in the next budget
Provision is made for an engine
| house at Washington and Arlington
! streets The department has reported
that advantageous arrangements can
! be made for the rental of the fire
tug at San Pedro harbOr at a cost of
$3.50 a month, and recommends that
this arrangement be consummated
pending the time when the city can
afford to make the necessary eXpendi-
lures for boat of it's own. Addition
al service, pipe lines, etc, have been
included for San PEDRO and Whining
ton,
FERRY FOR SAN PEDRO