The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-13
TRIED;FOUND TRUE
First Promise of Commission
Government Fulfilled.
Commissioners Lower Taxes
for Coming Budget Year.
LEVY FOR 1918 SEVEN MILLS
Reduction of Running City:
Amounts to $4,000.
Will Cost S365,OOO to Maintain
Expenses Next Year.
LEVY FOR 1878 SEVEN MILLS

1t will take s365, 900 to maintain the
city government of Topeka for the
year 1913. After three days of eight
hour executive sessions the board OF
city commissioners have whitfield the
budgets to the core. Seven mills WILL
be levied by the commissioners to
raise the necessary $365,00O. This is
one mill below the levy last year or a
decrease in taxes of more than $685. 900.
1t has been a difficult task for the
commissioners to figure out a plan TO
run the city of Topeka at $35, 900 less
than the government was maintained
this year. With the expenses growing
higher each year, with the city itself
growing at d rate of 1000 persons an
nually, with an additional seven miles
of paving to keep clean and in repair,
with park system that has demanded
additional funds to keep in line with
the improvements-it was no small job
to slice $4,000 from the budget and
still keep up maintenance expenses.
The commissioners shaved the
budget by lowering the levy for parks,
doing away with an emergency fund
levy, pruning and cutting the esH-
mates of every department and squeez-
ing the increased salary acquisitions off
the map.
Park Levy Lower This Year.
Commissioner StottS compromised
with the budget choppers at the ex-
ecutive meeting late this morning and
decided that he would try to keep Ep
the park improvements with only "a
mills. At the beginning of the session
he wanted one mill, or more than
$4,000. Then he allowed it to be c.
duced to one-half mill. or $4,000.
Now he will receive d little more than
$4,000 for park purposes 1t was
this compromise that kept the levy at
seven mills.
All the commissioners sacrificed
their budgets. Each man made a slice
in his estimates and plans for the year
in order to reduce the taxes IN the CT y.
1t took 80 hours of gnashing of teeth
and sharpening of axes to do it-but
they came to an agreement-and ad-
journed with a sigh of relief.
The motor tractor for the fire de-
partment and the motor car for the
police department survived the battle.
The North Topeka improvements Will
be taken out of the emergency fund II
the fire station is condemned WhCn
the No. l station is rebuilt it will De
made large enough to accommodate
steamer and the old engine at head
quarters engine house will be stationed
north of the river.
The only tilt of the long hot sessions
occurred when Commissioner Bone at
tempted to produce hgures TO snow
that Commissioner Stotts was receiving
too much m oIiey -foF=the PARKS SfottS
hurried to the office of the city treas
urer and came back groaning under a
load of official figures. The two threw
figures at each other while the other
commissioners looked on. No fatal
ties.
The city commission feels proud OF
its feat in being able to reduce the
levy 121A per cent, for 1913 This IS
the first decrease in taxes under the
commission form of government Ill
Topeka In reality it is the first test
of the new form of municipal govern
mPnt