The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1918-04-26
TAX MAY
BE INCREASED TO
MEET SHORTAGE.
City Council Still Undecided
How To Make Up Deficit
OfTax Assessments
COUNTY CAN NOT GET
ADDITIONAL REVENUE
State Board Causes Confu sion A
To How To Defray Admins.
trat!on Expenses

A general increase Of the city Ii
cense taxes, and all other sources
from which the city derives its rev,
enue to defray the expenses of admin
istration, appears as the only means
/ by which the city officials can avoid
larger deficit in the general revenue
fund, due to the reduction of the as
sessmnts of all personal and real es-
tate property in the entire State The
maximum rate, 60 cents on the S10O
valuation is now being levied on all
taxable property, City Collector
Meyer said yesterday, and for that
reason some other source of addi-
tional revenue will have to be found
and that is, he said, the increase of
the license tax.
According to the information re-
ceived Monday from the State Board
of Equalization, the tax valuation has
been given general reduction which
will mean a smaller income not only
for the county, but also for the city.
The total assessments in Cape Girar-
deau County, amounting to more than
S26,000000 assessed by the County
Board of Equalization, were reduced
$16,000,00O by the State Board of
Equalization on the old assessment
plan. The reduction made by the
State Board brought the total assess
ment below the figures of last year.
The tax valuation of the city last
year totaled S3,245,00C, including the
manufacturers and merchants license,
the real and personal property assess
ments. BY reducing the personal
property assessments the State Board
of Equalization took $4,000 off the
tax valuation of the Missouri Public
Utilities Co, one of the largest tax
payers in the city.
The total amount of revenue the
city derives from all sources is S47,-
500 a year, while the expenditures of
the city exceeded the income more than
81 900 a year. The reduction of the
tax valuation will cause a still larger
deficit each year if the license tax is
not increased.
City and county officials say they
are facing a. problem that will cause
general CONSERVATION. The county as
well as the city is facing deficit dur
ing the coming year. The school
board will also fall short of its annual
revenue, and a special election for an
extra levy must be passed by two
thirds majority in order to provide
funds for the maintenance of the |
schools.
The city council is still undecided
what steps to take in order to keep !
the city's financial resources on the
same basis with last year. Mayor
Haas said last night, he did not
think this city was as badly injured
by the action of the State Board of
as many other cities and
counties, in which the old custom of |
assessing the property at one-third
Of its value was followed in making |
the assessments for the present year. !
A conference will be held during the !
week between the city treasurer, the
city assessor and the city council to
determine what the amount of the |
deficit of the present year would be,
and what reduction can be made in the |
expenditures Of the city. In that |
manner, it is believed the increase of !
the license taxes can be kept at 4 min
ilnum.