Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-10-18
As Property Values Shrink
Needs Of City Tax Budget
Cause Increase
WILL CAUSE ADVANCE
OF AT LEAST 5 MILLS
Budget VIII Be Presented For
Approval Of City Council
Tonight

lhe clty cOuncllmen are due 10
Weld thoh pruning knives tonight at
the regular meeting of the city council
to trim the city budget for 1915 to fit
the pocket books of the tax payers
and also to conform to the tax payers
ideas Of economy. The council hus
been meeting in executive session frr.
quently for the last two weeks to pre-
pare the 1915 budget and after the
most rigid economy theX totalled the
amount only to find that ON account
of the reduction in property valuation
the tentative budget would call for q
1901 mill tax. The councilmen then
began another course of pruning and il
is expected that the taxes will be re
duced to l45 or l4.6 in the budget as
it is finally presented to the council
for their approval tonight.
Public to Have Say.
The taxpayers have u say, however
and public meeting will be caleC
before the amount is finally determin
ed. The reason for the apparent in
crease in the tax for next year is tn,
decrease in property valuation iron
last year. In 1914 the property valuO
tion for the city Of Salem was $l2,
463,6 ,604. OF this sum the corporation
tax was $l,300,S34. The corporation
tax is established by the state tax com
mission and the amount has not beer
fixed for this year and it is expecte,
that it will be slight decrease iron
last years amount.
The property valuation for the cit.
of Salem as fixed by County Assesso
Ben West for 1915 is $l0,660,9S0. Ad,
to this the corporation tax Of last year
$1,000, 1884 and the amount upon whicl
the city might base its taxes is $ll, ,063
1884 or decrease of $500, ,265 from l"s
years property valuation. Again If tn
property valuation Of the corporation
operating within the city is decrcase
over last year by the tax commissio
il is possible that the city will be oil
liged to base it's tax levy upon abou
100000 less than last year and thi
will account for the necessary lncreas
in taxes over last years levy Of Ia.
mills.
Must Raise S185,000,
II is estimated by the committee o
accounts and current expenses that
will be necessary to raise approximate
ly $ls5000 to run the city's busines
for the coming year. This IL a Bligh
increase over last year due to increase
in the street department Of about $500
and in the fire department Of abou
$4,000 made in the interests Of II
creased efficiency. There is also nm n
crease Of $1,000 to the incidental fun
of the city which is, however, onl
temporary. This is relative to the for
closing Of liens of the city on pawn
in the Oaks addition and also Cor
few other odd lots about the town, !
the Oaks addition q number Of III
property owners have dcfoulted in the
pavement tax and IL will be necessar
for the city 10 pay the taxes due III
county in order 10 forcclose and secul
clear title TO the property. As SOC
as the title is secured through N
courts these lots will be sold at a priI
high enough 10 reimburse the city f'
ali expenses and the $4,000 will
paid back.
ASK MOIb IOI IlINHcH'
The amount appropriated for the u
department last year was sl2,sOn
this year $l5,i0 Is asked which will q
low for some needed repairs aud u
employment Of regular firemcn inslet
Of the call men, Chief Hutton explain
that when a call is turned in. NJ nigl
and all Of the call men are AZ the n
ton he has enough men 70 man the e
a.. Rines, but when the call comes daff
Y one Of the three meal hours all Of n
r equipment Is short handed. One 4
a strnctive fire, II is argued, would @
G tail losses far In excess Of the ext
I money asked. The increase IN the sire
department is sought 10 cover swee
ing, cleaning, construction and resurfu
ing Of streets aud the construction
new bridges.
+ The sum Of $1,000 il asked for NJ
k sewers which is the same as the amou
k appropriated last year The light b
K for 1914 was siG,10O and FOR the co
ing year under the new contract "
call for sl5,A35 which il a decrease
about $1,000 In mating IT, budl
for the coming year the commit
have cut down every item 20 the b
est necessities within the range Of
, ficiency but Il IL evident that furil
y trimming Ia due the tentative buds
', Ms proposed.
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