The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-07-11
OKLAHOMA TAX
LEVY FIXED BY
STATE BOARD
ONE AND ONE-HAlF MILLS WITH
HALF MILL AUTOMATICALLY
LEVIED BOARD DECLINES
TO DISCHARGE DEBT.

Oklahoma City, July 10.-The state
board of equalization has fixed the
tax levy for this year at the figure
! frequently forecast. 1t is l IL mills
/ in addition to the IL mill that is
automatically levied This is l IL
| mills less than the total of last year.
1t will produce more revenue prob
ably than the state will need, es-
pecially if the revenues from the
production of oil and from incomes
and other direct sources shall be
equal to expectations and reasonable
estimates.
The board declined to consider a
proposition made by J. L. Lyon, sec
retary of state, to levy II mill for
sinking fund with which to dis
charge the bonded indebtedness of
the state. There is an issue of ST.
100000 bonds due serially for ten
years, one-tenth of the whole each
year, beginning in 1918. There is
also an issue of S3,077,731 which
will not be due for several years.
1t is the opinion of the board that a
| levy can not be made at this time
nor until an appropriation shall have
been made by the legislature to dis
charge the bonds.
Wants Debt Discharged Now.
Mr.. Lyon believes that the bonds
should be discharged now while the
state is receiving heavy revenues
! from production of oil and other sour
ces that may not hold up. On the
other hand, the argument is made
that a levy at this time for amortiza-
tiOn of this debt would exempt large
areas of non-taxable school lands
! and lands owned by Indians that will
later reach the tax rolls and a later
levy will reach all the people, where
as now but part of them would par
ticipate in the payment
ne DOIutu VI ohlu-
homa is very small as compared with
most of the other states. But at that
it is far in excess of the limitation
placed by the constitution upon in
debtedness of this character. This
is due to the fact that the first SER
les of bonds was issued to care for
the obligations existing at the time
the state came into the union. The
second issue was in pursuance of
decree of the supreme court which
held that outstanding warrant in
debtedness constituted in fact
bond against the state.
There is an item of bonded ,indebt-
edness that swells the total for the
state to something in excess of &c.
100000 instead of $4,5OO,OO0. That
is really not a state debt at all but
charge against what is known as
public building bonds or warrants.
The public building lands are assum-
ed to be ample security for this debt
and it is not considered a charge
against the taxpayers of the state.
Statistics of School Taxes.
Fiscal affairs Of the state of Okla
homa with reference to the counties
and the recent tax levy afford inter
esting material for deductions by the
figure sharps of the state auditors
office. 1t has been shown by these
experts, for instance, that the coun-
ties with many school children and
small taxable values are all receiv-
ing more money from the common
school fund as represented by school
lands and invested moneys than the
people of those counties are paying
to the support of the state in the
form of taxes.
1t is estimated that the per capita
apportionment of school money this
year will be $3.50, based upon scho-
lastic census. The wealthiest coun-
ty in Oklahoma is Oklahoma county,
on the west side of the state. Its
contribution this year for state pur-
poses will be S134,7SS. OF this $4,000
will be paid by public service cor