Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-09-29
State Board Of Equalization
Finds Opportunity to
Lower State Rate
GOVERNOR SAVES MONEY
Under Gov. Lister, the De-
partments Have Been Able
to Run Under Estimates

OLYMPIA, Sept. 2S.-The state tax
levy for 1914 (taxes payable in 1879
has been fixed by the state board of
equalization at the rate of S.07 mills,
which will raise $8,327 ,447.
This is reduction from the state
tax levy of 1913, which was S.S1 mills,
raising SS,937,525. 1t is the first re-
duction in state taxes since 1910.
The reduction was attained by low
ering the general fund levy, which
las year reached the statutory limit
of 8 mills, to 2.45 mills. and by low
ering the public highway levy, last
year 1.25 mills, to one mill. The state
school levy was increased slightly,
being raised from 10 mills to 1876
mills This was necessary to pro-
vide for an increased school popula-
ton of more than $780, shown by the
last school census. the barefoot boy"
school law providing that the state
shall raise SO for each child of school
age.
The 10 separate levies going to
make up the state levy, the purpose
of each and the amount of money to
be raised by each levy, are as follows:
General fund levy for support of
state institutions, state departments,
and general expenses. 2.45 mills. rails
| ing $2,528.159, reduction OF $515,266
from last year.
State school levy, state aid to
schools, 1876 mills raising $2,022,5 ,528,
an increase of $95,025.
Public highway levy for state road
work, l mill, raising $1,031 ,902, re-
duction of $236,192.
Permanent highway levy, for sur
faced roads, to be spent under direc-
ton of the counties, $1,547 1853, an
increase of $26,141.
Military levy, for support of militia,
construction Of armories. eto., 11/feeA
mills, raising $113,509, All increase
of $1,917.
Combined levies for higher educa-
tional institutions, los mills, raising
funds as follows: University of Wash
ineton. $4O9.153; state college, $685.
1868; Cheney normal, $92,S71; Belling-
ham normal, $92,S71; Ellensburg nor
NAL, $72,253.
OF the total taxes of $S,327,447 it
will be noted that the state school
money and the permanent highway
money, totallins s3,57O.Ss1, or more
than As per cent of the total levy, will
be returned to the counties for ex-
penditure. Last var only SO per cent
of the state levy went back to the
counties.
The reduction in the general fund
levy this year has only been made
| possible by the fact that state de-
partments will at the end of the
present biennium, March 81, 1915, be
able to return unusued to the state
treasury, a sum estimated at between
100000 and $650,000, saved from the
appropriations of the 1913 legislature.
OF this total departments under Gov
ernor Ernest Lister will return be-
tween 100000 and 100000, or ap-
proXimately 10 per cent of the total
general fund appropriations for these
departments, the office of secretary
of state expects to return about $780,
600 of the appropriation made for ini-
tiative and referendum expenses,
while other departments will also
show smaller savings.
In this reduction it is noted that
Chehalis county will pay $14543 less
than for this year, the apportionment
being for 1913, $317,766, and for 1914,
S303,223