The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-23
City Auditor Heating Pre- sumes Incorporation of Most Values Into Second District Through Rear rangement of Lines.
Would Cut Out One Mil Tax for Public Schools, Wait for News of State Tax, and Leave First District Re- fund to Tax Board.

A rate of IT mills is recom- nended by City Auditor B. F. Keating, in his annual re port to the Tax Board, to-day. The auditor estimates the grand 1istewIlI be $1d5, ,OO0, ,O00.
 But the report makes no, pro- vision for the usual one mill state tax, makes no provision for the usual school tax of one mill, and does not allow for the reimbursement of the tax pay CTS in the First District only, who became entitled to q re- fund of taxes paid, after the consolidation plan He'll through, by virtue of a decision of the. supreme court
 The auditor recommendss however. ] that the Tax Board make an effort to ascertain if the state tax is to be lafd,S for he sees neither wisdom nor. profit in paying a double state tax in one budget, plus interest for delay in payment
 The auditor also suggests that some Dortaon of the First District only ought to be consoiid iidated wit me second District, and recommends leg sslak5on for this purpose
 ha fe18xnmendation CT IT m ills zzs made upon the theory that most of the flDst district only will be put into inc second district, and that the change made by the tax in the re- naInder of first district only, will not increase the rate. But if district lines are not changed, the tax must
 lie suggests that it is the duty of < fl1e tax board to add to the list a sum sufficient to pay the tax refund
 with the respect of the school tax he points out that a. bond issue Of S200 .0O0 has been secured for school constru ctlon, and thus indicates that the three-year light which Mayor Wl1- son has made. to go into debt for schools. has been successful
 THA IT mill rates even upon the increased grand list, is reached only 1Dv other large eIiminations.
 Items set down at $37T,000 are lett t0 be cared for by bonding, if at alL including a proposed garbage plant comfort stations, new slaughter house. x,kancf library sites, new buildings fAY- fire department and Seaside park sea1au extensions
 Recuisztaons for $525, ,0oOs have been eliminated, because the auditor be- Heves that bond issues already au- fhorfzed with assessm ents growing F,,.f of them, will pay for all the work that can be done in the present year. TherefOre nothing is recommended for pernanent pavement bituninous 1nacadam. water bound n1acadan, or for sewers.
 sr1le ud7tor devotes some time to showing the rapid growth of the debt If now takes 3 A mills on each dollar Of the grand list to meet the annual oblagat1ons of the debt New debt of s x1 100000 has been authorized, and gis likely to De issued during the pres ant year. It requires $370, T 50 te meet interest and insta1ments.
 me auditor says: The greater the debt, the less the money available for city improvements from the proceeds of taxation.
 The auditor evidently fears another attack upon tho balance which the citv carries, to be able to pay it's bills in fhe first period of the year, before the new taxes begin to come in- This sum is $1eO, 600. It carries the city for two weeks, but this is enough to en- able the city to keep up with it's ac- counts Two years ago there was an efrort to seize this sum which draws per cent. for the sake of setting a tax rate which would only seemingly
 The greater part of the special re- cuisfftons made by the fire depart rnent are disa11owed The auditor thinks the city pretty well equipped. and directs attention to the high in- suTance rates, which have not been reduced Tn any such degree as the fire tdepartfnAnt has been improved.
 From the requisition for police pur- gposes the auditor cuts SIS, 497 50, tho a.rl4ou41t of salaries for Is additional I mission.
 The auditor tells the tax board that it will be necessary to include in the annual appropriations sum sufficient to refund illegal taxes paid by the first district only taxpayers.
 The total appropriations are estf- mated at g, 322 576. The estimated reveneu from sources other than tax affon is $365, 200 The seventeen mill tax will raise S1.963,600.
 DEMOCRATS PERFECT