Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-03
TAX RATE OF S2.S5
IS TENTATIVE PLAN
Increases Include 40 Cents for
City and 10 Cents Already
Authorized for Schools
WOULD GIVE $54,435,631

4 $2.S5 tax rate for 1920 will be
agreed upon by Councils finance com
mittce tonight If present plans are car
ricd out
The tax rate now is S2.3J. This X
10 be increased ten cents for educational
purposes and forty cents for municipal
purposes The S2.S5 rate. if decided
upon. will be divided into seventy cents
for schools and S2.15 for the city.
The revenue derived from $2.S5 rate
is estimated at S54 .435, ,G31, while the
revenue from n 500 tax rate is eStl-
mated at S55.3lO.SIl.
The present budget calls for cXpcndi
lures of 500. 80 900. TO permit Of a
80. 81 tax rate. material reductions will
have to be made in the budget at to-
nights session. Cuts planned provide
for changes in the budget for the Blu
reau of ighwayS--reductio in the
! 500 900 labor item and items for
equipment and purchase Of materials.
Some Advocate 50. 30 Rate
Although most of the members of the
! finance committee favor keeping the tax
, rate to S2S5, number are known to
, advocate $500 rate, which would
nccessitatc very little reduction of fig
| urcs fixed at last night session of the
committee.
/ Advocates of the 50 90 tax rate claim
fit would give the new administration
more lpeway. and at the same time leave
n balance in the city treasury for
emergency purposes for any emergency
that might arise during the next twelve
months.
Both the new tax rate and the com
plcted budget will be reported to Coun e.
ellis tomorrow afternoon.
In n an
speciol session of Councils to be held
next week, and Immediately upon pas
sape It is expected it will be approved
Nv Mayor Smith.
The bonus scale that will be made a
mart of the salary rolls for the year
fndds about SO .O000 900 to the personal
service item. 1t provides 20 per cent
bonus for all men receiving up to and
including $1,000 IL per cent for those
now receiving in excess OF $500 and
including $4,000 and 10 per cent for
those receiving more than $4,000 and
up TO and including $4,000.
81 900. 900 for Streets
An item Of 81 800 600 is allowed for
street rppaving and $500 900 for street
matches and repairs. This allowance is
81. 600 900 under the demands of Chief
Dunlap, of the Highway Bureau. The
grand total when work started on the
budget this morning was 500. .3T3. 900.
Francis f. Burch. II member OF
Councils finance committee, predicts
there will be no large reduction in tho
present budget,
/ Mr.. Burch is common councilman
from the Forty sixth ward and II mem
Der elect Of the new Council from the
Fourth couucimanic district
"The tax rate must be increased.
Mr.. Burch said this afternoon. The
amount of the increase will depend on
the budget total as finally agreed upon,
Int will then be simply Il matter OF
mathematical computation.
Sees Hope for Little Cutting
Il cannot figure where there will be
any particular reductions. \ few thou
sands OF dollars may he lopped OFF here
land there. ] think the public gener
ally realizes that men in the city de
partments are entitled to Increased sal
aries to meet living costs. The public
also knows that the city has lost 81,
1000 900 liquor license revenues and that
the streets are in terrible repair anC
must be fixed, .,
: Naturally these three big items vii
make necessary Il tax rise and the pub
lie probably realizes that the tax rat'
will have to go up.