Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-06
Next Years County Tax Rate.
FRIDAY. April, ). 1918

No lIht the members OF the Levy
Court OF New Castle county feel quite
conAplaccnt over the probability OF good
cash balance in bank 10 the credit of the
crrlntv Al the close Of the current fiscal
ycar. June so VI present tho balance
= $I5f.754I5. and il should be at least
> hundred thousand dollars when the
books are balanced.
Hut. n; i shown in local article
printed elsewhere in today'S Every Even
ing this prospective cash balance at
the end Il the fiscal wear II not 10 be
..ccepted as tribute tn The business
ability aud careful management of the
Lcyv Court That body has been no
hotter during the past wear than for many
wears prcviUtis The balance IS accounted
tor hy two readily dcrstandahlc causes.
They arc
An increase in the county assessment
fnr the fiscal wear now closing Of more
then nine million dollars.
an top of this, m increase Of the county
.ax rate from So cents IL - cents on the
500 Of assessment
with these Two material boosts, Il Is
- wonder the levy Court, even while
moving aong in the same old ruts. Is
now able to promise ! considerable cash
balance AZ tie close 81 The current fiscal
wear. The situation could hardly be other
wise. unless the Levy Court had deiiber-
stely chosen to enter upon perfect
ric< of extravaganza.
Had il not been for this large increase
IN the assessment, and tins radical IN
crease in the county tax rate, there Is no
doubt the Levy Court would be con
fronted with 3 deficit, instead q cash
balance. at the close Of the current fiscal
year.
But there is significance in this *
pected cash balance on june so, which.
as we have said, should not be less than
100000 This sum represents cXces-
sive taxation. The general principles
Of taxation for administrative purposes
do not contemplate tax ieyies that viii
protluc.a much more money than Is ac-
,nallv needed. To do this IS 10 impose
excessive taxation, and excessive taxa
tiou Is unjust taxation
Also. significant fact III this connec-
non j. that the expected balance unless,
aa horrible thought, the Lew 'ourt
-.1a AID spend il between nov and the
80 u Jaue-will form part Of th' rcye-
1.ues Of the next fiscal year Il >houid
T.. !. good basis for hc estimates Tor meet
ing the appropriations for the coming year
Biso. ne assessment ior the coming
BIZ. war mas been increased I" the
cent ot nearlv S40,OO0,0O0, and this
....-rrss- Al the present taN rate, would
,-taa IN ar additional revenue OF S3s000
8. error. and rebates Here Is something
10 10 considered "a largo addition to peN'
yrat : county revenues.
With such rosy financial prospect IN
vic,r. how can the Levy Court refrain
from making ! material reduction IN the
county tas, ratc Tor the coming fiscal year
One thing j. certain Should the L'vy
Court refrain iroIn making reduction
III the TX rate, TIC natural CONCLUSION
would be that If desired 10 get hold of a
lot Of extra money TO spend for such
purposes as it might deem desirable. And
these purposes might not altogether prove
attractivc TO the taxpayers
Also, unusual importance attaches TO
the situation by reason Of the fact that
ne City Council contemplates an in
crease OF city taxation for the coming
fiscal year An increase Of city taxes,
without any reduction whatever in county
taxation. would be oppressive 10 the
people.
The Levy Court should have no dltti-
Guilty in seeing its plain duty. And,
seeing this duty, it should perform it