Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-03-17
APPROVE 6O-CENT
TAX RATE INCREASE
Finance Committee to Recon-
mend This as Revenue
Producer.
COMPLETE BUDGET WORK
Necessity for Increase Demon
strated by Balance Brought
Over From 1919.

After a series of sessions extending
over two months. the Finance Committee
OF the City Council last night COM
plctcd its task of revising and reshap-
ing the 1920 budget and placed IL in the
hands OF City Comptroller Cofer to be
printed and returned to them for final
approval.
The difference between the cstimat cd
revenue for tho year and the necessary
expenditures is partially met by an in
crease of sixty cents in the tax rate.
This increase is divided equally be-
tween the tax on real estate and the tax
on tangible personal property. thirty
cents on the 800 having been added
to each item
The full report OF the committee will
not DC made public until the budget
mary of the other increase made it
any have been made. is not available.
~ has been taken for granted that
license taxes would be Increased in :
Guiding all thcatcrs and amuscment
places, as we'll as stores. circuscs. bill
lard rooms and barber shops.
Increase May Meet Excess
The increase in taxation will meet,
ditures for the year exceeded the esti-
mated revenue. This sum was Il654.-
o76Ol when the budget was presented
to the Finance Committee Changes have
been made by that body. but just no
freely the pruning knife was welded
on the various departments of city gov
ernment is not known. 1t is known
that every effort was made to bring the
total down and that various shifts
were resorted TO in order TO bring the
total down.
An increase In the tax rate has heen
regarded as ineyita bic for several yea rs
ana the pressing need fo- taking this
,uinpopuiar step at this time was forci-
ply shown in one item of the presen,
budget. the sum of s40o.664.61, which
was brought forward from 1919 as spe-
eiai approximations balance. This
rlouS needs but the revenue of the citv
fell short of meeting the expense by
iTnw,,al ina. amount; Improvements to the
ton of the fire department were the
principal items in this balance.
Pay Rolls Show Increase.
the pay rolls of all departments show
hea'! I! increases, the ratio being slightly
rSerni fess rnan lO per cent This was not a
cided by the head of each department
on IT'S merits. Another considerable
~ nem n IN n the big big budget is the increase
school teachers, this step being con
sidered of vital Importance b. the
Acquisition OF the Henrico County
gas plan, and provision for its opera-
.lon oy the Director of Public Utilities
Is another factor in the seemingly ton
henNy list Of expenditures
When the budget was prosecuted 70
ene nance committee. Mayor Ainslie
ennpialned that a comparison of the
1919 and 1920 budget showed a net in
crease IN the requests for operating
expenses by the four departments mn.
der his ADMINISTRATION of sai.a04.2l.
When the budget was submitted 10
the Council for the first time, Mayor
Ainslie stated in his message that an
addition OF s1.10 to the tax ON real
estate and tangible personality was
necessary y TO meet the expenses OF the
the committee to so cents, il is assumed
mat other sources of taxation were in
creased, or material decreases made in
The Finance Committee will meet on
tuesday night to receive the printed
Duoss, Dudget and and give it the stamp Of ap-
mon Council. A speciai ,neetinc -,
the Council will probably be called TO