The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-04
TAX RATE HERE IS
ABNORMALLY Low
Imnossible to Make Great Public
Improvements Out of Pres
ent Revenue.
COMPARES DALLAS REPORT
Mavor Ainslie Shows That Pro-
gressive Texas City Charges
40 Per Cent Higher Rate.

Exnlaining one Os the reasons why
Richmond has not been able 10 accom-
/ p!ish some OF the srei.t public lmo"oN"-
! nents projected as rapidly as in other
cities Mavor George Ainslic pointed
out Yesterday that the CITY TAX rate OF
$40 has rot been Increased IN ABOUT
forty years, and is lower than In any
ci-, of it's size and conditions OF when
he has been able to learn. While not
adv coating any increase inc Ma -.
points out the differences between
Richmond and Dallas. Texas. both with
approximately the same population
and with very nearly the same taxable
valuations. Dallas. however, has peen
making very rapid strides in public i'm
provements in the past Few years
Conditions in Dallas.
Referring 20 remarks he had mace
in a recent public address, the Mayor
said:
Now here's what l was talking
about the other day in trying to show
how people III other cities get some
things that we don't get and how they
get some things that we 90 get Del
TOR than we get them. Heres the
municipal handbook OF the CltS oi
DaIlas. Texas, a very progressive CITY
80 ahout the size of Richmond. l re-
ceived il Saturday from Mayor Holland
and n is Just from the printer. ~ IL
a Variable mine of information apou'
the municipal government, It's oePat
,nents etc. and rather think 1t wouiu
he a good thing for Richmond 10 nav
Rut here's what I'm coming 10.
mage IA, under the head Lax -.
- for the wear 1912, for all purposes
;s &, 90 on each S100.' Stick pm thede re
90 n moment Their rate Is s-''-
aeainst DIR S1.40.
Rnte Increased Forty-Two IehS
.R',t read on here All of the tax
-.+e in excess of $50 was Voteu ny
the property taXpaying Voters a
rious elections In other wolu9' -
started with a fat rate OF 10 cents on
s.a' 800 in excess of ours. and added
-. rsrious times special taxes amount
g. 70 a. cents on the 800. LOOK az
10. AT the election held IN Aprii
100 II cents on the 500 was Noteu'
IN cents being special Carriage
,roval tax and cents speclal scnooi
toy, What do you think OF tiia'
snecial tax for garbage removal anu
snecial tax for schools? bu.
,bis boast: The city pays one-thlro Oh
.i.' go footace cost of street paw
ing In most other cities IN the Ciii1ou
states street paving improvements are
nsde at the cost of the abuttlng prop
ertv and are not paid out OF the SeH
eral revenues of the city
Here's Dallas telling It's cltizehe
that II gives them somethlng eAlr"
hv contributing one-third OF the cost
Of street improvements. whereas hlch
mond. with a tax rate nearly Az PEI
cent lower, pays the whole cost OUT VI
IFS general fund. and makes no charge
at all against the abuttinE property
special street Tax.
"T,ook here: The permanent stree,
fund Is derived from a special 70 cen,
fax. and exceeds 100000 per year
And here: The library board. unoer
the city charter. has an independent
income derived from the special iprarS
tax. which amounts TO approNlihaleiy
STA, 900 per year The assessment IN
Dallas is approximately the same as
in Richmond, and if we taxed our
selves as they do there. our pudge'
funds last year, instead OF being a NJ
tie upwards of $4,000. 600, out of which
we did everything except pave sac
walks and alleys. would have peeh
more than s4,5O0,0OO. You see, II we
had nut this extra s1,20O,OOO IN our
treasury we would be having some
things that we don't get now. That s
the answer.