The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-01-04

AS the details of the years business
is given in the different committee re-
ports. | will only touch on the matters
of importance generally.
In view of the fact that council saw
fit to reduce the tax rate to $l.70,
which gave us for administration pur-
poses, $1.07 IL as follows:
Total rate ................. ...1.7O
Less sinking fund .......37 ID
Less board of education .25 90 1-2
Administrative ...... .....$l.Ol IL
the lowest for the last 20 years, we
were only able to maintain the city
departments up to their usual good
standard, and increase the net surplus
$26,S7515. This increase is shown al
most in one item, that of increasing
the sinking fund. At present the sink
ing fund has actually been paid the
amount of $90735.77 which includes
the accrued interest to date, and there
is estimated due when the 1915 exc
cutions have been collected $6,112,
making a grand total of $96,S47.77,
which | am able to state has been
placed to the sinking funds credit du-
ring my administration of the past
three years, with the exception of ap-
proXimately $11 900 which was placed
to its credit during the Butts admin
istration This cedtain!y is a record
Of which anv administration should be
proud. end most certainly could not
have been accomplished had not each
and every alderman put forth his best
effort for the city's interest. In view
of the fact that the specific levy for
the sinking fund plus the interest
result, but a goody portion of the
money placed in the fund was saved
from the operating expenses.
Considerable has been said in re-
gard to the change made by the city
in its method of the assessment of its
property. In this connection | wish
to show the wisdom of the change
Under the former method the assess
ors devoted about sixty days time in
assessing and the equalizers thirty
days in reviewing the assessments,
which time is wholly inadequate to the
accomplishment of the best results
which is vel flied by the tax asserror' S
] aport for the year. Under the pres
c It method the assessor has the entire
year in which to make personal in
81 cctiCns, and come in contact with
tho property owners and has ample
ltine in which to investigate com
plants and alleged inequalities and
settle disputes on an equitable ba-
sis. Aside from this advantage, the
report of the assessor shows an IN
crease in the personal property re-
turns of $1S9,750, which was almost
entirely voluntary on the part of the
taxpayers. $116,450 of this amount is
due to personal property returns which
heretofore escaped the board of tax
assessors.
At the present time the assessor has
been able 10 equaliZe certain real es-
tate values in which he shows re-
duction of $89,659; which deducted
from the net increase on personal
property leaves a net taxable increase
of SlOO, 100 which at the present tax
rate of $1.70 has increase the city S
Irevenue S101. Under the former
method of assessments the tota! sal
aries of the assessors and equaliZers
amounted to $3.50, and during each
year it became necessary to employ III
the executive department additional
clerical help at an expense of S750,
making a total of $1,000. The pres
ent salary of the assessor amounts to
81. 500 and he is required to do all the
additional extra clerical help in the
office. So you will deduct from this
that instead of it costing the city $500
more in reality the chance has pro
duced an increase in the citys feve
nue. of $1,000 or more. In my Judg-
ment this change was a very wise one
and has proven beyond doubt to be
a pronounced success.
| desire to ask your careful consld'
Grafton Of all the officers and commit
tee reports. for in them you viii flnd
matters for your consideration during
the incoming year. In the health OF
ficer's report you will see that more
deaths occurred last year from tuber-
culosis than any other contagious dis
ease make this mention that it may
occur to the urgent necessity for the
city OF continue its cooperation with
those noble colored citizens in their
effort to confine those suffering from
this disease in what is known as the
colored hospital for tuberculosis pa
tients, and thus assist in the effort to
relieve the suffering of the unfor
tunates and at the same time lessen
the exposure of our citizens TO this
disease This is a noble work and
should be encouraged not only by the
city, but by all charitable organiza
tions in its confines.
During the past year much has beer
accomplished by our able health Off
Ger in making our city one Of the most
sanitary in the country and we have
been rewarded not alone from the i'm
provement made, but from the gen
eral advertisement OF the good sani
tary condition of the city the outside
wnrld nv the w G. Raoul Foundation