The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-25

 abatements of either taxes or. assess I ments to see that the objects of the City's bounty are deserving and that they are entitled to the favor re- ceived.
 Tax Collections.
 Collections are much slower than usual, due no doubt, to the business depression.
 Unless there is 8 great improve ment in collections during the re- maintng three months of the present fiscal year, there will be consider able deficiency in the anticipated tax revenue, for the present year. Be fore your final meeting on the last Tuesday in February next I will be able to present to you fairly &C., curate statement, verified from the deficit will be. I trust that improve ment in industrial conditions wills in the meantime, reduce the amount of the deficit materially. I recommend any unexpended balances in any of the departments as they do not rep unappropriated for other purposes such balances will in part at least, make up for anticipated revenue de- hciencies, and enable, us to pay all of the bills of the present fiscal year, from the revenues of said year as the charter provides. Otherwise an ap- may m G G- be- required if all such bills are to be paid.
 Fire Department
 am, and always have been a firm believer in maintaining the Fire De-. partment, on an efficient basis. The regular expenses of the department [ provide for fully. The comnis- sioners have asked for special ap- 60. I have no doubt that this entire sum could be- prof1tably expended. but we cannot afford any such amount in one year. Nor do I deem 1t necessary in order to have an ef- ficient fire fighting force. The pre- vention of fires, by adequate safe- tin compelling our citizens to observe reasonable regulations, as to prevent ing debris to accumulate in cellars and other places is of as much i'm portance anything else in this di- rection, and should receive more att tention in the future than it has in Then. too, it does not seem to me that we are receiving as favorable snsurance rates as we ought to re- ceive, taking into consideration, the acknowledged efficiency of our fire force. This may be partly due to safeguarding property by not adopt ing proper fire preventive measures and if such is the case, we should trectify our past mistakes, as speedily as possible. The interests of our property owners demand it.
 I am reluctantly compelled to dis ciaI requisition of the Fire Depart ment-the new. buildings because I think that they ought to be bonded l for, and some of the amounts for new motor apparatus, because I think that we are pretty well equiped at present and no great harm can re- the demands. for another year at least.
 Police Department.
 | have provided for the police force as at present constituted. In the requisition of the department. 1 salaries for one lieutenant and fifteen men, not now on the pay rolls of the force are asked for consider il Iarly constituted department.
 If men are added before your final action on the appropriations il l will be for you to act as your best Judgment will dictate
 If the greater portion of the ter ritory now in the first district only l second district, as now contemplated it will perhaps be deemed advisable to increase the. police force. so as protection to which 1t would then be entitled.
 For the reasons stated, disaIIov I SIG, ,497.50 of the amount asked fol
 allow the sum requested for . new motor patrol.
 Repayments to First District OnIs Ta1payers.I
 Your board has considered the matter of refunding to the taxpayeri
 of the first district only, who have paid the full tax rate of 19-2-10 nli1l
 on the list of 1913. an amount based on a fair adjustment according tt the, decision of the Supreme Court il the case of Chamberlain vs. City.
 As the Common Council has no
 or fixed the amount to be refunded it is impossible for me to even esH
 mate the sum needed for this pur
 AS soon as, the matter is definitel!
 ad5usted. e5g ag 1 n trust it wi1l t,,,h be rsz be
 your list of final appropriations, :
 sum adequate for such refundment
 The Collector can file a list of thos
 who have paid the, full tax and tn
 amount to be paid back to each tax
 payer, who has paid in furs can b.
 easily ascertained, and paymen
 made as soon after the first day O
 April next as practicable.
 will give to the Collector 8 ney
 rate bill for the first district only, a
 soon as the Common Council ike
 the rate of adjustment 9 Cash in Treasury.
 Some Inisappfehension seems, t.
 exist relative to the cash balance il
 the City Treasury at the close of tn fiscal year. The City fAuditOr's report each year, shows the exact amount o this cash balance at the end Of tn T year. i It shows that this balance on Apri ' list, 1914, was $98, BRASS, and tha } this was increase over the bal ance of one year previous of $564.9
 This can be seen by reference t
 page 161 of the Municipal Registe of 1914.
 I can conceive no reason why ther should be any uisunderstandin ! about such clear, straight forwar 1 transaction, as. there is no veil of SC crecy thrown around it. During tn
 months of February, March an ? April each year, the receipts of tn City, from taxes are scant indeed and are not sufficient to meet tn [ current expenses of the City for thi l period. Taxes of the new year ar
 not forthcoming in any considerab1
 sums, until the latter part of May . and as the fiscal year begins on Apr : 1st, it is absolutely necessary, if tn . City's bills are to be paid when dut