The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-10-28
Mr.. BURKE SUBMITS
A FEW FIGURES

Editor Star: A communication from
Mr.. L. S. Light, in your paper of Oct.
10th, which has.reproduced in the Pa
latka News of Oct. 25th, has just been
read by me. Mr.. Light makes one
mistake in his authoritative to the
board of health. The half mill levy
for this board is not constitutional
provision, it is statutory, and can be
changed at any time by legislative
action. When this board was estab-
lished, in 1889, the state was put in
good shape-cities and towns cleaned
up, quarantine stations provided, on
an annual outlay of about $4,000. AS
the assessed value of the property IN
creased, the receipts were larger, un-
til in 1909, there was quite a sur
plus in the fund. The legislature in
its wisdom transferred 100000 of this
surplus to the pension fund. Chapter
1894, Laws of Florida.) Although the
amounts collected have increased
largely since that date, there has not
been any more surplus to be diverted
to other useful purposes-the board
has managed to spend all of it
whether benefcially to the public or
not, only an examination of all the
Expense" accounts will show. The
half mill levy will produce $175,OO0 in
1918, and from a statement from the
management of the board there will
not be any surplus-to use the ex-
preston made "there aint goin' to be
no core"
The taxpayers should demand of
their legislature that they amend this
law, levying only such an amount as
might be necessary to carry on the
work of the board, on an economical
basis. At present, there is at least
100000 annually being wasted byI
this board, that the public does not
receive any benefit from. If the board
would use good business judgment
and only spend money where some
good was to be accomplished, they
could do the work efficiently on not
over $4,000 per year.
AS to the proposed ten-mill school
tax amendment, Mr.. Light is quite
correct in his statements. We have
all the law now that is necessary, in
giving all the money the schools re-
quire. The one-mill state and seven
mills county levy for 1917 yielded
about $2,560,0OO for schools; the 1918
tax of eight mills on three hundred
and fifty million assessment, will
bring in S2,8OO,O0O. This does not in
clude the special school district tax,
which will be more than one million
additional.
The assessment was made in 1918,
presumably on so per cent basis,
which, however, is fiction. 1t was
actually about 25 per cent. There is
about $1,25O, 100000 of property in
the state, if it was all assessed at its
true cash value, as required by law.
But, accepting the 1918 assessment as
being on a so per cent basis, the tax
commission is going to insist that the
1919 assessment be made at full cash
value, as the law requires, and the as
SCISSORS and county commissioners
taking oath that they will comply
with the law, they will be expected to
do so. By doubling the 1918 roll and
allowing for a normal increase, the
1919 roll should show minimum
s750,00,OOO valuation. The present
law would allow a levy of eight mills
on this, which would yield 100000
If the amendment is adopted, have the
taxpayers any guarantee that the
county boards will not levy the full
amount, IL mills, which would yield