The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-02-04
OAHU TAX RATE
GOES UP A BIT
Supervisors Fail to See Benefit
of Cutting It-Want Full
Pound of Flesh.
(FrOm Saturday Advertiserl

NANtAN s~h'SsN NJ %NN' hASNA
As result of the insistence of the
board of supervisors in asking for an
assessment that will return the full
limit allowed by the law, the tax rate
of Oahu TINS year will be $1.l11s on
each 500 valuation. Last year the
rate was $1.l0. Had the supervisors
followed the friendly advice of Terri
torial Treasurer Conkling and cut off
the small amount of approximately
$4,000 from their estimate, the tax
rate for 1918 would have been $l.07.
The difference in the amounts is little,
the main point being the loss of the
good effect on territorial credit re-
duction in the tax rate would have
been. The county win get no addi-
tional revenue; territorial credit is
knocked.
The law requires the supervisors to
prepare an estimate of the expected eN-
penses of the county, submitting their
report TO the assessor and directing
that taxes be corrected accordingly.
The limit of taxes on real and personal
property allowed by law for county
current expenses is two.thirds of one
per cent. of the assessed valuation.
Under the present assessed valuation
of property in Oahu the greatest sum
which could be raised in this manner
is approximately $3.50, 900.
Treasurer Conkling, anxious to have
the Territory's credit more firmly es-
tablished, as well as to mid in causing n
reduction in tho tax rate, had suggest
ed that the supervisors dispense with
the $3S, GOO, bringing the estimate down
10 100000. This would have brought
the tax rate down to $l07 on the hun
bred dollars valuation.
The supervisors apparently thought
it poor policy to ask for less than the
maximum the law allows and accord
ingly stretched their estimates beyond
the limit. This, of course, will be
pared to within the limit by the assess
or. but it will raise the tax rate, which
will be $1.11@ on the one hundred dol
lars valuation.
Estimated on Everything.
The supervisors figured that they
would ask for a total of 1864, 663.23, of
which $475,000 is for current expenses,
$4,000 for permanent improvements
and $l9,66S.23 for the interest and
sinking fund, The supervisors have
nothing to do with this latter item, ac-
cording to Treasurer Conkling. 1t is
fixed charge, he says, like that for the
assessing and collecting of taxes, funds
for school buildings and funds for
teachers salaries, and something the
supervisors have no power over. In
Guiding it in the estimate harms moth.
ing, however.
The assessor has no recourse but cut.
ting down the two estimates of the
supervisors to S403 .427.03 for current
expenses and $134 ,475.67 for permanent
improvements, bringing the total with.
in the two-thirds of one per cent. limit,
or 597,90270. This amount, of course,
does not include the other sources OF
revenue of the county.
No Clash, Says Conkling.
81 did not have any clash with the
supervisors" said Treasurer Conkling
yesterday. 81 simply pointed out
where reduction of the tax rate of
nearly five cents on the one hundred
dollars valuation would be affected by
eliminating n matter of $3s, 900 from
the full amount which the law allows
the assessors to demand. The fact that
the supervisors have asked for this
amount does not mean that il will be
needed for the expenses of the county.
1t is simply a misunderstanding by the
members of that body that they might
be cOnceding some Of their rights by
asking for less than the law allows. /
simply wanted to aid in increasing the
credit Of the Territory Of Hawaii. a
condition which all citizens desire. The
decision OF the supervisors means moth.
ing To me aside from the satisfaction
J would have had, had my advice been
followed, Of knowing that Oahu IL not
behind the othor counties in the Ter.
titOry in keeping ~ estimate below
the extreme limit allowed by lnw.p
The resolution approving the est,
mates a. agreed upon by the superyia.
orr WIS offered by Supervisor MeClol. !
lpn ~ the meeting Of the city Faith !
ers Yesterday, aud adopted without
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