The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-22
Tax Assessment Recon-
mended by City Auditor is
Pared to Lowest Possible
Figure, Leaving Out Many
Usual Features, and Com
mitting to Bond Revenue
Many Projects.
Bonded Debt of the City Is
Now Over Six Millions,
and Projects Of Admins
tration Will Double That
Amount-Ice Plant Fiasco
Has Cost the Taxpayers
Over $4,000.

In the midst of unexampled
prosperity, Bridgeport is facing
year of accumulation Of stag
gering debt, oppressive taxa
ton, and inconceivable )inso-
lence in it's servants.
If the assessors valuations
on taxable property in the city
are boosted to q grand total OF
S18O,DOO,OOO, which is the es-
timate they have given the city
anditor, and the variofs re-
questions Of the city depart
ments are granted in full a tax
rate of SO mills would be re-
quired.
After slashing heroically, City
Auditor Bernard Fseating has recon-
1nended a tax rate esof 1913 mills on a
$4,000, 900 grand list
This, however, he finds, cannot in
clude any provision for the 1917 state
tax, which must be paid promptly if
the state demands. as there is a 8
per cent. penalty tax attached.
Neither can it provide for the new
J p0licemen's salaries; nor for many
things which formerly the city Of
Bridgeport paid for by direct taxa
ton.
It doesn't include one mill tax
for school buildings, for which pos
terity must pay, according to the Re-
publican administrations fiscal pol
icy. The city auditor left many i'm
provements for bonding, as the
mayors committee on financing new
projects desires.
The city auditor finds that the debt
OF the city is now $6,374,800. The
state law allows a debt Of no more
than $4,000 estimated on $780,
100000 grand list. If the city is bur-
dened with more than $6,O00,0o0 more
of debt through bonding, as the ad-
ministration proposes. the law will be
violated. ~
The present per capita debt, ac-
cOrding to the city auditors estimate
is $38.
The city auditor provided in his
recommendation $184,577.98 in pay
ment of last years state tax, which
wasn't provided for by the admin
istration Mast year, in the effort to
make the tax rate appear on the sur
face less oppressive than it really
was. The city auditor recommends
that borrowing on time notes be re-
sorted to hereafter to meet the state
tax when demanded, and the cash
to- meet the notes be provided later.
This, he believes, would save Inter
est.
He recommends that the city pro-
cure the power to issue short term
notes in anticipation of bond issues,
instead of setting the roceeds of the
bond issue aside and waiting for the
time of final payment This, he be-
lieves,. would save the difference be-
tween the Ia per cent. interest on
the bonds and the 2 per cent. inter-
est the proceeds of the bonds would
draw in the bank.
He urges that bonding be only for
permanent improvements or for i'm
provements that will outlast the life of
the bonds. limo other case is bond
ing justifiable, he believes.
He recommends increased compen-
sation for the mayor and some other
city officials, exclusive of the city
auditor. For the deputy city auditor
he recommends salary of $4,000,
allowing a $400 increase.
Mr.. Heating closes one section of
his report with '"The burdens of our
taxpayers will De great enough with
out levying on them taxes that may
not be required"
He would apportion the 1913 mills
tax, SO mills in the First district and
1O.7 in the Second.
The city auditors recommendations
are used as working material for the
board of apportionment
City Auditor Keating's report en-
bodies an item of $6,331.60 for de-
ficiency in the municipal ice plant
committee. This amount is due for
architects fees, and kindred expenses
of the committee, whose project has
fallen fiat, under the administration s
guidance.