Republican farmer., 1920-01-30
CITY AUDITOR HAS
 RECOMMENDED TAX
 RATE 0F 26.8 MILLS
DOES NOT ALLOW FOR INCREASES FOR POLICEMEN AND FIREMEN BUT DOES BELIEVE TEACHERS
 SHOULD GET RAISE

this morning recommended a 26.8 mills tax rate for the City of Bridgeport for the next year. He estimates the grand total of the grand list ct S474.- |500,000. Mr. Heating refused to recommend an increase for either the police or firemen but did recommend 25 per cent for the teachers.
 In the first district AIr. Heating es- inmates the grand list at s2SS, 100000 and the second district at $2S6.500,- coo. He asks a tax of 14.2 mills in the first and 12-6 mills in the second district, making a total rate of 26.S mills for the year of 192021.
 In opening his report MT Heating says that the purchase price of the collar has so decreased that it js about equal to 50 per cent. what it was four years ago and in view of this fact he says he cannot see where anyone can protest at a higher tax rate.
 The city's bonded indebtedness is set by him s1O,681. 1.20o.91, and he also issues a warning on the bonded in- l uOoICbliSSS. Il0 pO1nlS Oul that ll0 <, city should meet all current expenses from the. incoming revenue and bonds should only be used for Improvements | which are permanent. It is also l pointed out that bonds should not be i extended to exceed the life of the pro- 1 ject they used for.
 MT. Heating also tells the board 1 that he objects to the deficits existing in many departments and wants them 1 discouraged. In passing to the school
 requisition Of s2.500.000 for new | buildings MT. Heating says this must come from a bond issue and as the city can only borrow $42O,o00 and
 not exceed the legal limit set, he recommends that this amount be given
 to the school board for new build ings.
 MT. Heating also recommends that ithe teachers be given a 25 per cent.
 increase in salary irrespective of the State bonus which is promised theITl-
 He points out that the legislature ought to provide this and probably will when the next session is held.
 The raise is to affect all teachers, off, icials and employees. and to take ef- feet on April l, 1920.
 He does not recommend anything
 for new sewers, pointing out that $1, COG, ,0G0 is available from bond issues
 for this work. The sum of S2.000,000 ? was authorized as the bonded indebt-
 edness for this work and only g ,0o0, 900 has been used-
 The auditor says that in 1917, ST25,-
 600 was provided for the city to bor-
 row for use in park work and S2O5,0o0 of this can still be borrowed and he } says that the extensions for one year , at least should be kept within this amount.
 1 He points out that the council has
 not increased the salary limit of the 5 police and fire department and says l he has no right to exceed or antici-
 pate their action and leaves it to the board to act if an increase is provided , by the council. He points out that , the number of arrests, amount of
 crime and work that the police de-
 partment has to do has been material ! ly cut down by the prohibition amend
 ment and he says that the time is nearly here if not already ripe to cut
 down the expenditures of the police, l city court, jail, county home, and
 charities department The common
 council is also blamed for the failure ] of the fire department raise to be
 acted on.
 In the First district Mir. Heating 1 provides that S3,517,0 7,044.36 should be
 provided as appropriations for tho z coming year. Among these are: Am ! bulance and emergency, S23,45o; city g dispensary. s50.112; city hell, s13.-
 0S540; collectors office. 1a.o942o;
 county tax, sS5.000; garbage disposal. sS5,00o: health, $211.24S: health and ! charities building, 5,5O7; interest on debt, s157. 7.6SS.75; library fund, s103, 900; national guard tax, S4S,009; police. S7,000; recreation board, S50.- 77o.43; school notes. $13,0 900; care Of
 schools, $1,54S, 426-65; trade school
 care, $16,916.69; note for state tax, :. S235, ,255.64; tax collections deficit, S59,000; deficit notes, S194.00o. Exclusive of taxes the city auditor , estimates that receipts from this dis . trict will amount to $282,000. This . leaves 3,235. .044.36 to be raised by
 taxation in this district on a grand , list Of S23S, 1000, ,000, making the tax
 rate 14.2 mills.
 In the second district a partial list
 of the appropriations recommended
 by the auditor are as follows: City
 engineer S40,000; city court s21, TOO; l fire department s545,ST0.56; specials 7 for the fire department S64,35O.12; in-
 terest on funded debt s385. .S75; land
 damages S55 900; lights s121.702.26; park department s10O.000; specials 7 for the park board s48.20O; police s503. .2S5.S2; police building s15.SST; salaries SPA, 500; street cleaning S12S,- 900; deficit notes s106,0o0; redemp- ton notes, s100.000 making a grand 5 total of $3,519,36617 in the second district.
 He estimates that s6ss,5oo will be the revenue exclusive of taxes in this
 district making a total of S2,S55,-
 S66.17 to be raised by taxation of a grand list of s236, ,50O,o00- A tax rate of 12.6 mills will effect this. ) In the first district MT. Heating es- inmates that SS1,0O0 will be received from the issuance of refunding bonds
 and in the second district S601, ,0oo will be issued to bring revenue to the , city.
 The sum of s275, 1000 will also have
 to be provided to meet current exS
 penses not covered in acquisitions. t S157, ,63S.75 is the interest on bonds 7 and notes, in the first district. In inc secOnd district S2A 4K0 rsrayHf 5a