The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1922-06-06
S444, 900 Bond Issue
for Schools Voted by
Board of Aldermen
Continued from Page Three,>

ms NoS TeSaFu TO the results to be
The task which has confronted and
still confronts the Board OF Assessors
is \ non1entous one, This depart
out n scientific basis for a uniform
standard OF property assessments,
TINS PLAN as it becomes effective, will,
I Believe, eliminate much OF the pos
sibility for discrimination and mac
curacy and unequal assessments. The
largest group of taxpayers, of any par
ticnlar character, in the city. are the
manutaeturers, and we must ac-
knowledge their corporation in the
task which confronts the Board of
Assessors,
hist, which has already accrued fol-
lowing the depression, and the pos
sibtGty of further shrinkaRe, the ex-4
erc5es of the function OF this depart
nent calls for tho utmost of good
Judgement in order that the lesfti-
mate interests Of the city may be con-
served without any undue burden to
property owneSrs.
have every confidence that the
work now being performed by this
Board will merit the approval of the
tax payers OF the city and win un-
dcubtedly have the added advantage
of discouraging appeals from ASSESS
ments, which ALWAYS result in the city
being deprived OF the use tof cen
siderable sum of money over long
periods
Under present conditions this de-
pertment is sustaining q heavy bur-
den. On Jan. l. of the current year, I
proximately 40 appeals from the
Board Tof Relief, Board of Appraisal
OF Benefits and Damages etc. In ad-
dfuon, approximately 40 appeals from
the Board of Relief this year have
been hled. making a total Of about
$50 such appeals now pending.
This litigation makes unavailable
to the city. in the cases of tax APP
of Tn NIL
ton there is a large number of other
actions against the city, together with
claims to the numbers of about so.
Recent conditions have made
heavy demands upon this department
for opinions and legal guidance. In
respect to current matters.
I am Informed that exclusive Of
taxes owing on the grand list of 1920,
there is owing the city in taxes. ever
one million dollars. and there is a
balance owing the city in unpaid
taxes on the list of 1920 of s1.523. 900.
A portion of this is unbelievable, but
it is apparent that were proper IA
cfnttes available, the city would be
able to obtain a large amount of
money, all of which would have its
effect in helping US to ultimately re-
duce our tax rate
The city attorney asked the Board
of Appordonment for an appropria-
ton which would have enabled a con-
certed effort to be made for the col
lection of these unpaid taxes, but
this was denied. It is my opinion
that it could have been made a real
investment to the city to have spent
the money for this purpose. An ad-
diiona1 stenographer has recently
been furnished the legal department
and the best efforts possible will be
made to reduce the amount of taxes
thus owing the city In this connec-
ton commentator must be made to
the special outside tax collectors. In
the previous year, the outside tax
coll fnd hut hnfTx
them I am informed that, thus far,
the present outside tax collectors
have brought in approximately $685.
900. It is apparent that a continue
ton of their efforts in coordination
with the office of the city attorney
will bring excellent results
Tt may be that the time has come
in Bridgeport when the city should
have q permanent legal department.
The volume of work now transmitted
through that department, together
with its Importance, may require that
such a measure be AIKEN
East Washington Avenue Bridge.
On May 16, 1917, the city entered
into a contract with Edward DeVoe |
Tompkins, Inc, for the construction |
of the substructure, superstructure
and the approaches of a bridge across |
PeQuonnock river, designated as East |
Washington avenue bridge, -SubSe |
quently the Edward DeVoe Tompkins. |
Inc, company ceased to function I'M |
der this agreement, and as a result, |
the Penn Bridge Co., which had been |
engaged to furnish the material for |
the superstructure, took over the con- |
tract in question and agreed to finish |
the construction of the SuperStructure |
for the sum of $4,000, together with |
any excess cost of freight in shipping |
material to this city For some rea- |
son this material has never been de- |
livered, although entirely fabricated, |
and remains at the plant of the Penn |
Co, at Beaver Falls, Pa
required that the city remove certain |
portions of the substructure which |
INSTRUCTED the channel in the Pequon-
mock river, and this work was ar
There is available for the completion
OF this bridge only the sum of S37,-
6S9-74 which is wholly insufficient to
do the necessary work.
I hope an arrangement can be /
made without further delay whereby
the Penn Bridge Co will be enabled
to deliver the material TO this city and
complete the construction of this
bridge, the lack of which is a serious
detriment to the locality in which it
is situated as well as a handicap to
the travelling public
Five Cent Fare.
/ have held that a cent fare with
in city limits is an economic necessity /
in a city of the character of Bridge
port, and have consequently exerted
myself to the utmost to maintain that
While the plan under
present operation is still, to some eX-
tent, experimental. I have every con-
ddence that the five cent fare will be
continued in this city. m this we are
very fortunate as compared with soma
of our sister cities.
The brief survey which 1 present
70 you in the foregoing observations
will I believe, make clear to you
that we have thus far made a good
beginning in the work of retrench-
ment and economy, to which we are
all now committed. 1t must be per-
fectIy plain that the results which
have been obtained, and which 1 sin
cereIy hope will grow in the proper
direction, could not he made avail
ablew ere it not for the cooperation
of every department. feel that
able were it not for the cooperation
as your honorable body, conceives the
necessity for united effort in this :
way For the cooperation and as !
sistance thus far rendered feel very ,
grateful, and it will be an added /;
source of pleasure to note that the :
future shall see an even stronger :
bond in union of effort toward the :
desired goal. +
The burden under which home own :