New Britain herald., 1916-12-02
ASSESSORS UNABLE
 TO FINISH SOONER
Think Plan to Change Fiscal Year
 Would Be Impractical

Members of the board of assessors when asked today for their opinion
 as to the advisa bility of having a charter amendment to have the city
 fiscal year brought forward a month declared that under the present con-
 dltlons it would be impossible as they
 would be unable to have their work
 completed in time for the finance board meeting proposed in January
 and the city meeting in February. As It IS now, the assessors claim. they
 are rushed with work and have a
 nara time getting their lists complet- ed by January 31 as required by law.
 A change that would make them com. plete their work sooner would make
 II imperative that the office force be
 materially increased and be made permanent
 Assessors Work Increases. A number of years ago January 1 was the date on which the lists had
 to be completed, but this was changed to January 31 by legislative act in order that the assessors might have more time to do their rapidly increas- ing work. Since that time the work at the local office has increased more than two fold, members say, and where previously it was possible to put property into the lists collectively, now property has to be itemized,
 making moro clerical work. At the present time there are nearly 5000 names on the list
 The assessors claim that any at- tempt on their part to do their work earlier would be fruitless. The only solution would be to have another charter change, making it impera- tive to file the tax lists in September instead of October. Temporary ad- ditions to the clerical force would have but little value, it is said, be- cause the new clerks being unfamil- jar with the work, would require too
 much attention.
 Several Oppose Plan.
 Several members of the charter
 revision committee, after considering
 the changing of the fiscal year, today expressed them selves as opposed to the plan. In the first place, they argue, any reforms in city affairs
 should be made so as to conform as
 near as possible with the existing
 system. People in New Britain, and
 throughout the state, are accustomed
 to file their tax lists in October and
 all other business proceeds on from
 that time. To change the date a
 month earlier would be contrary to
 the established custom, would be con-
 fusing and entirely impractical, say
 some of the mem bers, who insist that
 it would necessitate the re-educating of the people in the matter of plan
 ming for the presentation of the1r lists and the payment of their taxes. One Solution Suggested.
 The entire question has arisen from a request of the park committee
 that the season be set ahead a month
 so that 1t might get it's appropria- tion earlier and thereby start spring
 work sooner. This would also be
 advantageous to the board of public
 works and other outside working
 bodies. If this is the end to be at
 tained, one of the committee on
 charter revision suggests, the best
 solution is to have the finance board meet at any specified time and levy a special tax in anticipation of the regu- lar tax. Thus a mill tax might be levied for the board of public works and mill for the park committee. Then the money would be fOrthcom- ing and the work could proceed. When the regular city meeting came the money would have been spent and work started, and the tax would be deducted. This plan would be in ex act accordance with the precedent es- tablished two years ago when the city had so many men out of emplOyme ent A special tax was levied to provide employment in the street department for them. The money was spent and l the work done. Then when the meet 1 ing came it was deducted. A simi- 1 lar plan was recently suggested by l the finance board when asked to pro- l vide funds for the building of dam | in the new Stanley park. There was l no money on hand so the board au- l thorized the expenditure of the 1 money on the anticipation of taking | it from some other department sur 1 plus when the time came. The two l plans are similar The levying of the
 special tax to make early outdoor work possible would be simply antici
 pating the receipt of the money sure 1 to come.