The copper era and Morenci leader., 1921-08-12

This will reduce the tax rate 15c, or, from $103 which the rate would be under your proposed budget to SSc. For the past year the tax rate was 9S12c. The State rate last year was 471ac but this year will be 75c. a great increase, almost 60%o.
 Tn making the cut in the budget the taxpayers have used common business sense. A dollar has been considered dollar, whether in the Sheriff's office or the road fund. There is nothing personal in any of the reductions; on the contrary, in some cases, through personal interest some times are approved.
 Of course, it is needless to say that nothing regarding the budget has been considered politically. I do wish to make this point however to the County, officials that now the maj Ority of the voters are taxpayers; this is a common sense fact which will bear thought. The reductions have been made in respect to the County at large; giving the cattle man, farmer, banker and miner tho same consideration.
 It is fact that prices have reached their peak and are coming down. Take the past four years in the tax rate, 1915 61, 1917-541a 1919- 50 1920-961a. In the past five years the tax rate has practically doubled taking the rate of $1.03 under your proposed budget of this year. We have certainly gone up and it is time to come down. It is useless to have taxes that the people can't pay and we have reached that state now with no relief in sight, as is evident from the list of delinquent taxpayers. How are we going to start to reduce the taxes? There is just one way-ECONO- MISE-In Webster's dictionary, that good old bible the method as well as che meaning is given-economize- frugal and saving.
 ''The taxpayers do not take the at titude of telling the County officials : how to run their business; the tax payers believe they know what they are talking about and should have the ! privilege of economizing in the eX- , penditure of their money"
 Following his introductory remarks MT. Kyle began the reading of the proposed reductions, item by item. The first proposition embodied pro- ! pcsar for reduction of $500 in the i office of the County Assessor. by reducing the item of $500 in the bud
 get for chief deputy to $500 and l eliminating the item entirely calling i for S100 to cover the services of other deputies. County Assessor Coleman ., appeared before the meeting in op : position to the recommendation as .I submitted. He contended for the ne cessity of deputy at $150.00 pei !. month and in support of his conten tion cited extra work which had beer imposed on his office during the pres ent fiscal year, including the issuance : and collection of automobile licenses , MT. Coleman also contended that dur . ing the busy months in his office i : was necessary to have a deputy wh,
 was familiar with the work
 Following a discussion pro and col : on this subject chairman Stantol Y stated that it was the desire of tn |. Board to hear all of the proposal I from the taxpayers committee, tn , discussion of the same, and followin f that the Board would then conside I the proposals.
 . At this stage of the proceedings E l H. Green, member of the Committet P! insisted strenuously that the Boar e d ucClSlOH lOl Ol dSdbioI LII e proposal, as affecting the office of A n sessor He called attention to tn n present period of depression; he cite e the urgency for economy; the larg V list of delinquent taxpayers and tn s likelihood of still larger list thi r. year. At one stage of his remark d he turned tG the taxpayers in tn
 audience and called upon them n stand up if they were willing to bac if up the position of the committee an e majority of them stood up. Gree e left the impression that the commi
 tee was there to demand and insl' , upon a reduction in the budget, an ). added that ''the committee didn
 want to be handed any bunk whll = the taxpayers were present and a I adverse decision after they had gon Ii home"
 II Chairman Stanton called the a II tention of those present that durn