The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-10
County Commissioners Make 65
Per Cent. Increase.
Erection Of Bridges in Large
Measure Responsible.
GET S1THOUSAND MORE
Levy for County Purposes One
OF Many.
State, City and Schools Are AL
so Increased.

Shawnee county's tax levy will be
virtually 65 per cent higher than d
year ago At a conference today the
county commissioners decided 1t WOULD
be necessary to raise the ISio leVy al az
even mill on the dollar valuation 70
cover operating expenses for the com
ing u months. OF course this tremenu-
GUS raise in taxes in one lone year VIII
create several brands of noise among
the taxpayers. 1t is the most decisive
increase ever made in the history o.
Shawnee county. But there is nothing
to do, but politely walk to the county
treasurer's office and pay the bill
Last year the county levied a tax of
185 mills on the dollar, which raised
$147, 900. On a total valuation this year
Of sS1. OOO, 600 the county board will in
crease last years levy to 2.85 mills
bringing to the county treasury $Sl,OOO
more than was collected last year, or q
total of 1925, 900 to cover Shawnee couE-
tvs operating expenses for period OF
II months.
Recently it was announced that the
county would hold it's levy to two mills,
but this hope faded today when the
county commissioners considered the
cOunty's necessities and faced the prob
lem that several of Shawnee county 5
funds are already depleted. For exam
pie. there is not a dollar in the general
road fund and will not be until the first
of the year At the present time this
fund is overdrawn $4,000.
Then the commissioners have been
compelled to face the necessity Of
building several expensive bridges and
next years road work will come high.
The permanent road and bridge fund
will for this reason be called upon to
raise every dollar possible under the
law.
Then the general revenue fund will
go to the limit. Salaries for county Of
ficials and clerk hire have been in
creased without an extensive confer
ence with the taxpayers But the tax
payers can walk to the court house
this winter and pay the bill.
The bond, interest ana sinking fund
is in anything but healthy condition
To put this fund in normal condition,
the board will find it necessary to
hoist the levy few more points.
But the county's trouble does not
end here. There must be a special
levy to cover the county aid for the
Provident association and the tubercu-
losis camp. The Rossville high school
wants county aid under the Barnes law
and must be taken care of. These
dents in the county treasury, it is said,
will eat up much of the $500 extra
which the county desires to raise under
the 1911 levy.
Where your county taxes were last
year .1S5 on each 500 valuation, you
can this year cheerfully prepare to
pay .2S5 on a revised levy. This will
mean an increase in taxes of an even
81 on each $1,000 valuation to cover
county expenses alone.
But trouble does not stop here.
There IS an increase of healthy pro-
portion in both the state, school and
city levies and a taxpayer who lives in
Topeka city will pay about an even %
per cent more taxes than a year ago.
AS the figures now stand, the taxes in
Topeka city-for city, county, school
and state purposes-wiIi be $1.s3 on
the 500 valuation, as against $3.50 in
1910.
The school and city levies will be
certified to the county board in few
days. but it is hardly probable that the
county board will formally announce
the exact levy until Friday of next
week. The figures for the county as
given above are virtually bed rock as
decided on by members Gf the board
in a conference held this week. Sew
eral slight changes might be made, but
they will not materially raise nor
lower the taxes.