Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-05-16
Circulation Every 1OQ00
Evening Yesterday A3OOO
THURSDAY. MAY 16, 1918.
The Levy Court and the Tax KATE


The Levy Court Of New Castle county
has extended formal invitation 10 ovic |
organizations and Ia citizens generaity
who have direct interest in the important
s,,b,oct IN offer suggestions IN respect
of the county tax rate to be hxed tor
meeting the current expenses OF county
administration for the fiscal year beginning
July I Of this year. The county rate tor
tho current fiscal wear is o. cents on the
500 If assessment, and in view OF pre-
vsiling conditions. the general belief Of
tho community is that the levy Court IS
in posIt1on to make substantial reduc-
ton from this rate for the fiscal wear
soon 10 begin,
And there are good grounds for this
general belief The county assessment
for ~ coming fiscal year. recently
COMPLETED. resulted in an increase Of
.,bout forty millions Of dollars Over the
total Of the current wears assessment
With such an increase IN hasls of
taxation. there should be room for 2
considerable reduction of the tax rate Tor
next wear Surely there y no such ncocs
sits for increased expenditures m county
administration as would warrant the
lew Court in continuing for another
wear tho present tax rate ~ 81 cents on
tho slnO. with such large increase ~
the assessment.
We hone the invitation of the levy
Court somewhat surprising when the
LEVY Courts attitude towards the public
in recent wears il considered to civic
organizations and interested citizens to
advance suggestions in respect of next
wears tax rate will he generally accepted
All ciyic organizations formed for the
purpose of advancing the interests oi the
community in the details Of local adj
mnistration, all taxpayers who ind their
tax payments of material concern, should
take advantage Of this opportunity Let
them go before the lcvy Court and
freely express their views, coupled with
such practical suggestions as they may
h, able to command Especially should
thcv so inform Themselves as to he able
'
estimates of the amount Of money that
should be expended for county admins
tration during the coming fiscal wear
which would enable them 10 suggest
exactly a tax rate that would raise sJlf-
6cient money to carry the coming fiscal
administration Of New Castle county
through to tho end without Ignoring
any vital public interest and without
mourning dollar Of floating debt
This subject is Of especial interest 10
The civic organizations and interested
citizens of Wilmington That this city
contributes the bulk OF the revenues for
county administration goes without the
necessity of argument in detail. il Is
an established fact, because of the very
large proportion of the county assess
ment that falls upon real estate within
the limits Of tins city As the heaviest
taxpayers, therefore, citizens OF Whining
ton have Il larger interest IN county
taxation.
In respect Of the taxpayers Of Whining
ton, the situation imprcsses them more
forciblv. this wear, by reason Of the fact
that they arc faced with the probability
OF an increase IN the city tax rate Even
with the large increase IN assessment for
the purposes OF city taxation resulting
from the operation Of the new system Of
property assessment. there seems to be
an absolute necessity for increased reve-
nue. to meet the reasonable demands Of
the municipal administration during the
coming fiscal wear The tax rate for
The current year for city and school pur-
poses is Sl.35 on the 800 Of assessment
and the revenue derived therefrom has
proved barely sufficient TO successfully
conduct operations 10 the close OF the
current fiscal year, June 30 Chairman
Robertson of City Councils finance COM
mitteo has already gwen notice that an
increase in the city tax rate for next year
Is Unavoidable.
This situation IS due to the fact that
the needs of city administration are
continually expanding and demand more
money. That the public schools have
need OF larger expenditure is apparent
TO all They have fallen behind in recent
years, and no city should permit its public
school system TO deteriorate Teacher
not only demand, but deserve, higher
salaries. and the cost Of all other elements
OF school administration has increased il
recent years The Street and Sewe
Department has actual need Of large
appropriation, in order to do what shoult
be done in respect of streets and sewers
The Police Department needs more none!
for its adequate administration.
1t is certain. therefore, the people O
Wilmington will have to submit 10 in
creased taxation IN order TO meet tn
legitimate demands Of the city adminlstra