Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-23
IBRYSON HOPES
FOR A CUT IN
CITY TAX LEVY
Reduction of 10 to Is Cents on
500 Possible, Says
Controller.
CALLS FOR ESTIMATES

Hope that the city tax levy which at
present is $1.061 on the 500 of taxables
may be cut from 10 to 10 cents for next
year was expressed today by City Control
Ter Robert H. Bryson. Although increased
appropriations will be necessary for some
departments extensive cuts will be pos
sible in others, he said. Necessity or
meeting 100000 in temporary loans this
year which will not be faced next year,
reduced budget for the city health depart
ment and the possible lessening of labor
costs in case the city council passes an
ordinance cutting the present high scale
of wages which has been pending for
several weeks, will operate for a lower
tax rate, according to the controller.
The purchasing department has advised
I'll departments to make their estimates
upon purchase or materials and equip
ment upon the basis Of current prices,
it being believed they will not go higher
and may drop further.
SOME INCREASES
CITY MUST MEET.
Some of the increases in city expense
which will Offset to a certain extent the
possible saving in others are raise OF
from $4,000 to $4,000 in the fire de-
/ partmenL salaries IuHQ uHueE INC DOoAN
of public safety because of the installa-
ton Of the two platoon system, from $780,
600 to $4,000 more for water rental be-
cause Of the increase in rates of the In
dianapolis Water Company and approx
mately 100000 for the park department,
occasioned by a $4,000 deficit this year
due to failure to get the franchise tax
money from the indianapolis Street Rail
way Company and expected loss Of it
next year.
Department heads have been instructed
by Mr. Bryson to have their estimates
in his hands not later than next Wednes-
day These estimates will be closely
strutinized for several weeks, the city
council being invited to attend the con-
ferences before the annual appropriation
! and tax levy ordinances are prepared and
introduced The council must adopt these
measures not later than Sept G. 1t proba-
bly, will not be possible formally to pre-
sent the final budget and ordinances to
the council much before the middle Of
August. There is a regular meeting Aug.
10. but in case the measures are ready
before that time they will be introduced
in a special meeting in order to give the
council as much time as possible to IN
vestigate and hold necessary public hear
ings before the time limit for adoption
is up. the controller indicated.
FEW OF ESTIMATES
NOW IN HAND.
Definite figures upon what most OF
the department intend to ask for are not
/ available. and few of the estimates have
reached the controller. Departments have
been working on the budgets for the last
two weeks The purchasing department
is asking for $15,270, which is SO less
than this year.
/ The state board of accounts announced
some time ago that it was preparing
budget forms which it would require tax
/ ing units throughout the State to use
/ this year Mr. Bryson stated at the time
that the city could not wait for the
accountants to get up their forms and
4 that department heads would go right
ahead using the sheets which were de-
vised two years ago and perfected last
year A few days ago the State board
! said It would have some OF its sheets
/ printed and available early next week.
/ The city will not use them, however, Mr..
Bryson said.
/ I'VE had a man from the State board
! OF accounts over here the other day and
he looked over our form and said it was
all right for US to go ahead using them,'
said the controller.