The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-29


 Gentlemen-The acquisitions of the various departments and officers of the city, for the fiscal year 1919-1920, more than $7,0OO,0O0. To raise this sum of money would call for a tax rate of thirty-two (32) mills, on a grand list of s220,000,- 900. This tax rate would be prohibitive and cannot, and ought not to, be con- Hdered. by either you or me.
 There must, therefore. be radical reductions made in the amounts ask ed for.
 A very large proportion of the city's .expense is fixed, such as debt, fire, police, education, charities, health, tetc. and must be taken care of ade- :quately The reductions must be made to a large extent, in those re- 'tluisltions, which however desirable, sAre not strictly necessities.
 Wages Increases.
 In common with employers every where, the City of Bridgeport found If necessary, owing to the high cost of living, to increase the compensation of school teachers, tanitors, firemen .policemen and street and park em- Fp1oyes. In fact to make a general s3ncrease in salaries and wages in all Ectty departments. This increase was Edeemed imperative, in order to re- It&in the services Of capable and ex- lperienced men and women in the Ecity's service, many of whom could scommand higher compensation else fTrS Ind fp fr1ef such increased compensation was tArdy act of justice, as in the case Fbf school teachers who were actually receiving less compensation than un- Eskilled laborers.
 Then, too, there were substantial ladvances in the prices of all materials Eentering into city constructive uses, Esuch as stone, cement. brick, sand, gsron, steel, pipe etc. All tending to R1ncreased expenses in every city de- Apartment.
 !! And no material reduction of such Expenses is possible, unless there is a bdecided change in present labor and SSnaterials, conditions and in the high Icost of living. Wages cannot, and fought not to, be reduced. until there
  rent and clothing, for wages are Emeasured, not by the rate received, SSut by their purchasing power of the txrecessities and comforts of life. Reduced Receipts. Then, too, the estimated receipts EGrom sources other than taxes. must Ebe reduced next fiscal year. One item, alone, that of liquor licenses, must be eliminated, as we cannot count on seny renewals of such licenses, upon cthe termination of those now in force, in December. 1919. This cuts tSssn previously estimated yearly rev Senus of s165, 900 and necessitates an additional tax of s4 of mill on each dollar of grand list to supply the de. ff1ciency.
 Deficit in Tax Revenue.
 We will have, at close of fiscal year i T91S-1919 a deficit iii tax receipts, of about s14O,0OO and this must be pro yfded for in the budget of 1919-1920 j3n addition to the wants of this latter eysar.
 There are also other deficits in an dcipated revenue, which. will bring | Inc total to more than S150,O00 ex. elusive of liquor licenses.
 Estimating Tax Revenue
 It has been customary, heretofore Ito esttmate.as collectible revenue iron taxes. a sum equal to tila entir FAmount of taxes levied, on the curren lyear's list.
 Experience has demonstrated tha 1dnety-five (95) per cent. of the cur @ent years tax, is the maximum O scollecuous on such list, within the ifs cal year, and that only portion c -fhe remaining five (5) per cent un lcollected, is made up by the coIlectio or arrears of taxes, in any given yea, 1t is, therefore. clear that this meth od of computing tax receipts ia CT Toneous and misleading and cannot b Hontinued with safety. To obviat fThe difficulty and prevent In future the deficit in revenue arising there From, l recommend that we estimat ninety-fve lC95) per cent. only of tn current years tax, as collectible rev sSnue within the year, and add thereto such sum, as experience has showI VIII be likely to be collected from al fears of taxes, during the year. Tn u1ethod of estimating tax revenue wi ksurely prevent any overlapping deflci iasrch as we now have, as a lega c E1rom the old to the new year.
 Abatement of Taxes
 |. No allowance has heretofore bee kanade for tax abatements As the Enount to a considerable sum eac eyear, 1t is proper that such allowanC be considered. The abatement faxes ought to be made only for il graVest reasons, for it seems impropt to swell the grand list with items sRmounts for taxation, only to be aba ed later, and thus materially redut the revenue counted on to defray cit expenses. It is, of course, impossib te make out a grand list free fro, srror or mistake, but it seems desi able that there should be as fe amounts as possible, which could l properly classed as subjects for abat tnent. We ought to know, pretty e, R0tly, what revenue to rely on fro taxes so that there would be no deic sn same at end of year.
 Deficits
 The following estimated deficits tfhe various departments, due
 Eauses already specified, are reportt and must be also provided for in o, next annual budget:
 County Tax. s5O.5s0.l Garbage Disposal 7,000.l Isolation Hospital, equip
 ment, S5,OOo.
 Board of Charities S,750
 Schools, salaries, fuel,
 etc. s3.5S3
 Fire Department salaries 5S,779.
 Police Department, sal