The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-22
'inds One Mill Tax for School Houses NeCeS-
sary, Reluctantly Recommends Cash to
Meet New Police Expense Inflicted by
Ordinance, and Proposes No Bond Issues
Without Referendum -ShorageO of $40, 600
Due TO 0verestimates on Collection of
Back Taxes and Poll Taxes

City Auditor Heating, after Topping
. million dollars from the ext,avagant
estimates of the city departments,
finds 1t necessary to recommend a tax
rate of IL mills.
In the First district a rate of and
seven-tenGhs mills.
In the Second district, a rate of 10
and tIaree-tenths mills.
This estimate shows that a sum
many thousands of dollars more Will
be required to meet the expenses Of
the fiscal year than ever was required
in any previous year, in the cfty's his
tory.
Bridgeport has had tax rate high
er than IL mills, but this was before
the grand list had been enormously
sweIIed by the addition at fun. value
OF properties that had been long I'M
dervaIued.
The city auditor says, "NThe assess
ors abstract shows an increase Of
banis of the tax rate recommended by
me, this, Will realize about $14O, 1000;
a very handsome sum, but it appears
to be wholly inadequate to meet more
than a fraction OF the increased de-
mands made in the acquisitions Of the
various boards or Officers, IL the same
were fully granted. L have deemed it
necessary and consider my action
JustifIabIe, to cut of from such re-
quisitions $1,OOO,OO0."
The revenue of the city, as esti-
mated a year ago, has failed to come
up to expectations.
Despite the auditors advice. that it
was not safe to estimate from col1ec-
ton of arrears of taxes an amount
greater than will remain uncol1ected
at the end of the current years tax,
a much larger figure was included and
there is a shortage of $4,000; the en-
tire sum estimated.
There is, in addition, a shortage of
$4,000 in the estimate on the coIlec-
ton of the personal tax, and both
shortages will amount to $4,000. The
auditor believes that it may not be
necessary to make a deficiency ap-
preparation to cover this entire short
age. There may be sums of money
unexpended in the appropriations of
certain departments and these sums
may be covered in 10 compensate for
the deficiencies in revenue.
But the auditor says, with our ex-
pertence of the past year before US it
is difficult to estimate what our re-
ceipts from personal tax will be next
year. My estimate. in this report, of
so per cent. of the whole amount as
sessed, is but a guess which may or
may not be verified. 1t is much bet
ter to underestimate a little, rather
because in former case, we will have
some revenue which can be applied
towards reducing the expenses of the
next year, while in the latter case,
bills will have to remain unpaid until
a deficiency appropriation is provid-
ed
Speaking of the accounting system
Mr. Keating says, THAT it would be
better if the system should be applied
to all city boards, and he desires that
officials will specify with accuracy the
amounts required for each item of de-
partment or office expense
Consldering the subject OF school
appropriations, Mr.. Keating recon-
mends the usual one-min tax for new
schols, which will yield $1O6,OOO. In
this respect he is not, in agreeme ment
with the suggestion of Mayor Clifford
B. Wilson, who communicated to the
tax board his desire that the one mill
tax should be omitted.
No appropriation for new macadam
is recommended for the reason that
this form of road has proved unsatis-
factory.
There will be in the city treasury
to the credit of paving account. on