The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-01-26
How Taxes Are Expended


 l departments of the city, as per ap- I propriations recommended by me, for
 the next fisSa1 p ysaE aI;re This wi e enaDis aa | glance what proportion. of the tax he pays goes to each city depart
 ment and he can also form an opinion I ing an equivalent in each case. for the monies expended The entire revenue I of the city from all sources for the I next year according to nay estimate Twill be $2,274,860.74.
 The @approprisa,tionsa @ rscommenasd recon aelns ,etl mentss of the city the following per- Icentages of that entire sum:
 4 schools, exclusive of
 Board Of Charities. 6 per cent .i Fire Department Il 2 per cent | Police Department 10 per cent I Health, including gar- xs.s7 baEe disposal per cent I Debt charges, principal
 I and interest, 12 per cent I State tax per cent i Street Lighting, sk per cent, i Public orks dept 10}per cent City Planning.
 For the first time in its history the
 city has sta ken initiatory steps to-
 nnent Of commission for that pur- i pose.
 There is no subject more important I than this for the future welfare and I orderly development of the city. I Many cities, abroad as we'll as in our I dom, in fact the necessity for such a measure and if Brtdgeport is to take
 and npaintain it's rtEhtful place. it too, I great stretch of the imagination to Hook back and see wherein the city could have greatly Benefited if lnent had been inaugurated 4 many
 years ago. towards which all future
 How How different our city would now be. I In many respects, had this been done.
 We would not have the congested ] conditions now existing on many of
 oflr principal streets, notably on Main sI street, BairfeId avenue, and Cannon I street. We would have more suitable
 and capacious bridges, across the har- bors at Stratford avenue and East l Washington avenue. We would have
 ton only few of the things that will strike every observer. at first We should profit by past expsrience ] and plan now for the future, slabsti- tutine for the hap hazard measures df I the future, designed to make Bridge port a better more practical, more hea1thful. and more beautiful city to necessarily mean that we must at i once, do expensive things, but 1t does 1 mean that whatever we do, in the way f pr city improyement, shos1ld be a part l of comprehensive plan, having for it's object the development of our city along orderly, practicable and artis- tic lines. so that the money spent for V asted sl41s7'' IT. VI. AAs't 's can spend a small sum of money to better advantage than in approp opriat-1 I ing the sum requested by the. Com J mission An equal sum Will,s 1t is hop. ed. be provided for the same purpose. by some Of 8ouE public spirited citi- about practically pledged. A proper city plan will be a money saver. not I a money spender.s
 New High School.
 The matter Of constructing new A site therefore has been purchased. plan Of building adopted. and contract regretted that in letting the contract for construction of the new school the
 Board of Education was compelled, fout for the present, at least, the pro posed wings of building. as shown on plans of the Architect. 1t is shoped I that this omission is but teIr1porarv. that the funds required to conp1ete 1 the building will be supplied so that ginally planned. If the Bliidinr <aIs- ssa s not be thus completed now, it's ap- pearanee wiM be marred and 1t win when the wings are constructed as they soon must be in order to provide needed educational facilities for high school puHdls. It seems the part of folly to construct new high school IonIy adequate for present wants
 anirsmsn9s l sn Is z9Vaalen tue a nor fqsuTe f14 not recommend that any Dortion Of is cost be defrayad from the direct pro- ceeds of taxation, as [ consider the entire cost a proper subject for bond ing.
 This matter VIII be submitted to ireferendum vote, at an early date and feel confident that the voters will favor an additional bond issue s,1fff- building adequate for many years IS, ,n | come: have dealt with this matter So Iul1y because my failure to recona- might be construed as unfavorabIe to the completion of the new IIlgh
 cn00l' aSSsordlns Ssw .sde so ss.s, ogsgiasi plans has been the practice for many years. to appropriate a sum equiva- for the new primary schooIs. OlIr rrI. citys growth in population Of school age is so rapid that we cannot dis lyear. u
 It a1ways seemed to me better to provide this money. by direct tax each Ibond issue. as considered 1t more in the nature of current expense than vided adequately last year for all r,ri- mary school requirements, by the us-
 ual one mill tax supplemented by a future needs from wear to year New long as our city continues to grow s--s The seal of approvaI was placed 1 iast year. on the method Of meeting this expense by a note issue. It is a I matter on which there may be honest l differences of opinion as to which is the better course In view of the re- lcent decision, favorable to the note issue method and because of the un- usually large sums required next year. for things that are truly current ex- jpenses, do not recommend an ap-s tHpropriation pr for new primary schools I this year but feel justified in recom- I1nending that the question be sub- rnftted to referendum vote at an early date in order that suitable pro-. 1 vision may be made by another note issue, for the construction of new primary schools. I have no doubt that the appeal will meet with