Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-02-17
Second Delegation of Lob
byists to Continue
the Fight
FIGURES SHOW LOSS
Taxpayers of Richest Coum-
ties of State Would
Be Burdened

Another delegation OF Tulsa lobby
lists went to Oklahoma City last night
to continue their fight on the Camp
bell Russell school tax amendment to
the constitution. Assistant County
Attorney Ed Warren, who returned to
Tulsa Monday from Oklahoma city,
went back last night to continue his
fight against the measure.
Many Of the now richest counties in
the state will be bankrupted by the
Russell amendment II it passes the
senate. II seriously affects Tulsa
county on account Of the large num-
ber of public service corporations
within its boundaries.
Provisions of senate bill No. IL Will
decrease the assessed valuation of
property in Tulsa county about two
fifths, according to figures quoted
from yesterday by Assistant County
Attorney Warren. With a mass OF
figures before him he showed how
Tulsa county would be vtally affected
by the proposed amendment.
The assessed valuation of property
in this county at present is 1921, l,73S,-
097, If the Russell tax bill is voted
it would decrease the assessed valua-
tion from which the county would be
benefited approximately $293, $50. This
would require an Increased levy of
9.5 TO operate the county government.
Outside of cities an 8 mill levy Is
the constitutional limit only in cases
where it is exceeded by a special vote.
If an additional levy was not voted
Tulsa county would be left thousands
OF dollars short OF funds to operate
the government
House bill No. 27S, according to
Warren, also aims a drastic blow at
all the richest counties in the state.
This bill would revert all the public
service taxes to the state with the
exception of light plants and street
railways. The total valuation Of all
Tulsa county property, public service,
real and personal, according to War
ren's figures, is $5S,900,S9O. This is
under a 4.9 mills levy.
From this assessment Tulsa county
annually receives S264,164, of which
s106, ,516.67 Is from public service cor
porations. Under the house BILL pay
ing the majority of the public service
taxes into the state, to be pro rated
to all counties of the state, would
leave $32,162,93 in taxes for Tulsa
county from public service companies.
This would require a levy of SAB mills
or an Increased levy of 3.34 mills to
offset the decrease in tax receipts
which the taxpayers or the county
would have to bear.
From $13S,S61, raised from corpor-
alton tax alone, the city school dis
trict would be returned $24,270, these
figures being based on an estimate of
$1.SS per capita on 1870 school chill
dren. This would be a loss of $ll4,-
59l in tax receipts to the city school
district, which would have to be over
come by direct taxation in order TO
sustain the public schools.
The foregoing is only a brief sum
mary of the disastrous effects the
Russell bill would have on Tulsa and
Tulsa county. Assistant County Attor-
ney Warren will appear before the
senate committee in oklahoma City
Wednesday night and with his mass
of data show how Tulsa would be ir-
reparably damaged by the adoption
OF the resolution providing for con
sttutional amendment