The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-16
ADMINISTRATION RECOGNIZES
INEFFICIENCY OF ASSESSORS
and TOWN CLERKS ACTIVITIES
Vital Statistics Registration to Be Wrested From Schultz
If Charter Amendment Can Be Put Through-As-
SCISSORS Office to be Recognized Different Basis
People Will be Ignored, If Mayors Plan is Adopted.
mayor will show:

AAidyOI Will SuOW
cit is also proposed to require the
town clerk to file with the tax COM
| missioner daily, a list of all transfers
of real estate which may be received
at his office during the preceding day.
This will enable the tax commission
er to keep the block maps up to date
and in very short time the lot and
plot system of listing property can
be made effective. This system is
far preferable to the one now in use
as 1t will eliminate the personal ele-
ment in levying assessments
The amendment has also gone to
the Bridgeport representatives for
presentation to the legislature.
Town Clerk Schultz now has II
copyists in his office. After April 1
he will have 13 and they will be en-
gagged principally in the work of re-
cording realty transfers if the vital
statistics records are taken from the
office. In asking for the additional
copyists Town Clerk Schultz also ask
ed that the salaries of his copyists
be increased from 500 to 5000 per
year. The Republican aldermen
could not see this increase, however,
and turned the request down.
Other parts of the mayors message
approved by the council last night
are:
cit is also proposed to amend that
section Of the charter pertaining to
reports from the board Of appraisal Of
benefits and damages, SO as to make
it possible for the common council to
adopt a corrected or amended report
of this board simultaneously with the
or no1 Inv o.
the collection of assessments.
Another change is one approved by
the board of building commissioners.
At present the charter and the new
building code conflict with regard to.
extending over the building line. I'm
der the building code, it is legal for
a bay window or cornice, above the
first story, to extend over the build
ing line not to exceed 80 inches. 1T is
desirable to have the charter conform
to the building code. 4
ut is deemed advisable to have the
board Of relief complete its work in
January instead of February, as has
been the custom. This will enable the
city auditor to have full Information
with regard to deductions, before sub
hitting his report Of the grand list
for the coming year.
las a desirable expedient 1t is pro-
posed to authorize the common coun-
Gil to fix salaries of employees Of the
various departments, upon the rec
concentration of the heads OF said de-
partments.,'
BY this last paragraph it is pro-
posed to set the salary of the tax
commissioner at $4,000 His deputy
will receive $500, his chief clerk
$2.400 and the clerk of the block map
system $1,000. Other clerical work will
be performed by girls at the salary
rate Of $500 per year, the rate paid
other clerks in the city hall
Arthur F. Connor, who is examiner
OF liens and clerk of the board of APP
praisal of benefits and damages, is to
be the new tax commissioner and his
term Of Office will be eight years His
deputy will serve for the same term
and others in the office may be re-
moved at his pleasure.
The proposed change creating the
new commissioner follows:
Tt Is proposed to abolish the board
OF assessors and to create the office of
tax commissioner to supplant said
board. I believe that the work of this
department can he better performed
under the supervision of one man, re-
ceiving a proper salary, than it is
performed today by four members
with Ivided responsibility. It is my
opinion that centralizing responsibility
on one head will work for greater ef-
fciency in this department. It will OF
course be necessary to provide cler-
tcal assistance for said tax commits
sioner."