New Britain herald., 1917-03-17
FINANCE BOARD FOR
 1Ax RATE OF 2O.5
Phi Stfsst Paving Makes Il M6hef Than Vas Planned

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 It is now up to the citizens of New Br1tain to decide whether their tAx ratA for 1s17-1s1s will be 1s.6 tAills or 2e.s mills or moro or less, but the board Of finance ana taxation , At ita final meeting last evening voted to recommsnd tax rate of 2O.5 mills for the coming year. Tn order to keep the tAx rate as low as that the t board had to slash expected appro- prdAtions of tho various departments . with sometimes seeming abandon. TAs original plan of the committee was to recommend a tax rate of 20 mil1A, but in order to keep sthe rate at that h4ure 1t would have been neoeaGa<y not only to refuse the money for . new motor aerial truck and seuth cad Are station. but also te refuse to grant sufficient money to by permanent pavement in Park ssroet 6etWeon John and Elm streets. AM during yesterlay the committee wNs heoeaeed with protoats against the plan to put o6 for another year the paving Of Park street 50 that item wAS AnAlly included, Jumping the tax rats hAlf mill. If tho city meet- ing aeoS It to adopt the tax rate as receunmonded 1t Will be m increase ek 41ne tenths ox . mill over the rate pe41 laGt year.
 Tseal 1aessase .. h.sllo.7ss.
 1gayof ouieiey hos sslAbored hard all wanAer. and has secured the co-opera- tioA Of the finance beard to this end. to keep the tax rate from going above 10 tnills. or 20 mills at tho outside. but he hAe now seen the writing on tho we'll. With the present system of ptoperty asDe1smsnt it is impossible to Ut any more revenue from the 14Nud list and if the needs of the city Afe to bo met, the rate must De JuMpsd. Mayor ouigley positively seated Inst night that 1t is now up to the cit1oens Co decide what they want. HNe finance board and himself have d4nA fheir best They nave econ- eual4ed in evSry possible way. If the <1e6ns think they have not econ 01nd1ed enough In their suggested proposltions 1t is their privilege In tho city meeting to cut out other iteyns and thus bring the rate lower O. the other hand if they insist on 4dd4d impr0y1unAuf1, the new aerial M6t0f truck and south end fire sta- Hon for inotanOe, it le also their right to vote tor It, but In 60 doing they must und0rstAnd that they will have 10 pAy for 1t by . still larGer tax SAto. The e0ttmatog n recommended 6y che finance beard include tho fci- loNing increasss oyer the iteIn4 of . year ago:
 Schools 337,l4o; milk station 326o; streets $12.1O0: street lights $2,00O: street sprinklins s1,0o0; permanent paving 43,111: Ire department $11, 93S; police department $7.Ss2: inter- ct sk discount 94.so7: bond payments 41o.0oA; New Britin institute &2,OOO: Walnut Eill Park 31.60O: state tax @e.0e0; county tax &14.00O; south end uafk $1S.000: Nov Britain hospital 960e: city hall $5,000. (including 4Asee0 for insurancel; total .&l4O, 736.
 ASEe DepArtncmk Rnio CEitdcdxes.
 Last nights closing session of the dpance board proved the most inter- pe4inG one of the seriee and the board ted net been In sssnaon five minutes before Judgs B. F. GafIney and Ern- sat N. Humphfey were in heated ar gament. The argument continued tor some times and onto different sub J0SSSs V kSVAb AS~4I NAu8 ltAz4t tl10 VEV~ posed new southeASt fre station was not to be recommended, but that a nying4 squadron was included, Judge aA1knsy objected on the ground that there would be no adequate place to pl1t 1t and 1t would be impractical anyway unless now station Is built. MT. Humphrey denied this argument and declared that flying squadron would be nearly as efY1cient as a new engine house. He asserted that the l1ying squadron could beat any. of the present apparatus to . f1rs and thus naxAerially increase the efficiency of tho flre. department. He said he him. sen can beat Che Ire apparatus to any Ire and &ny other automobilist could do tho aame thing. Judge Carney rcntended that the present apparatus is in reality . hying squadron and a new cAr could not mako enough bet ter time to . iire to notice. The judge declared that the reason 1t takes long, ef than sosnstimes seems necessary Tor the motor apparatus to leave head quarters on Commercial street Is be- cause there is . AtAnding order at that