Evening star., 1921-08-21
Estimate for Next Fiscal
Year Likely to Lie Between
That and $23, 900, 900.
FORECAST OF CITY NEEDS
MUST BE READY SEPT. IS
Commissioners Face Hard Task of
Keeping Figure Within Lawful
Limit of Twice the Revenue

government for the fiscal wear he
ginning next July will amount to
between $23.000.000 and s25. .ooo 900. 1t
was reliably reported at the District
building yesterday
With the return to the citv tomor-
row OF Commissioner Rudolph. the
city heads will buckle down to the
big task of the Misrepresentation Of
the estimates. They must be in the
hands of the director of the budget
by September Is.
Although the needs of the citv are
many. there are two factors thar
PROBABLY will make it necessary for
the commissioners to keep their bud
get down to those items essential to
the operation OF the municipal gov
ernment.
Economy the Watchword.
One of these factors is the watch
word economy. which will guide all
government bureaus in the prepara-
ton Of their appropriation bills.
The other is the old law which saws
they shall not estimate for more than
twice the revenue which the city ex-
poets to collect during the fiscal year.
1t is expected that there will be
| three big items in the estimates,
| namely: For continuation of the
school building program now under
| way. for the purchase of more munio-
ipal Fairgrounds. and for the cree
| ton of municipal trash and refuse
disposal plant
! The s240 bonus for District en-
ployes amounts to s1.400.0O0 a year
While the bonus is not appropriated
for in the regular District bill. the
Commissioners must make allowance
for that amount in keeping their
budget within the limit of twice the
estimated revenue. as
VIII Consider Salary Increases.
| Whether the city heads will recon-
| mend salary increases for District
| employees probably will be decided by
| them within the next ten days while
| they are considering the estimates
The United States bureau of EN-
| cheney 10 now engaged in a survey of
| conditions at the District building
and may find that some employees of
the city are underpaid. 1t is not ex-
pected. however, that the Commits
sioners will have time to consider the
report Of the efficiency experts before
sending their estimates to the Treas
ury on September Is.
The Districts revenues for the fis-
cal year beginning July 1 next
were roughly estimated yesterday as
follows:
Real estate and tangible personal
property taxes. between $4,000. 900
and $10.000.000. depending upon what
tax rate is used for that year. A
rate of 81 per 100 Of assessed value,
which is the highest the Commits
sioners could establish, would pro-
duce from this source approximately
$10.S00.00O. II the present tax rate
of s1.s2 is retained for the next fiscal
year real estate and tangible prop
erty would produce ss,S00.ooo
Estimated Revenue. $4,000. 900.
Intangible personal property. which
is not subject to the changing tax
rate. will produce about s1.oo0.000.
Taxes from public utilities. banks.
etc, will amount to about s1,5o0,oo
and from miscellaneous sources, such
as licenses, S1,500.000.
These figures give a total estimated
revenue for the city for the next rs
cal year of about s14.o00.000. A bud
get equal to twice this estimate of
revenue would call for s2s. 900. 900. 70
The Commissioners however, must
make allowance for various apprp-
priations made in other acts partly
chargeable to the District. These ap-
preparations have been amounting in
recent years to about $4.0Oo.o0o.
After deducting these outside ap-
preparations from their estimates,
the Commissioners will be able to
ask for about $24,0o0.00o for the mu-
nicipal government.
Among the outside items which
the Commissioners must deduct from
their budget are the appropriations
for connecting the Rock Creek and
Potomac parks. for the new George
town bridge, the Geological Park, for
the care and lighting OF public
grounds and the salaries and ex-
penses of the District Supreme Court
and the Court of Appeals.