Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-11
CITY ASSESSMENT
MAY SHOW TOTAL
OVER Sll4,000,000
Report Comes Before Council
Tonight. Tax Rate as Yet
Undecided.
MAY REDUCE THE BUDGETS

The Board of Assessment. Revision
and Appeals has completed its report
OF the total assessment on the real
estate throughout the city and sub
mitted the figures to City Council, and
the statement will be read at the meet
ing Of that department tonight. Infox-
nation relative to the boards find
ings was withheld until City Council
hears the report read this evening.
but IT was understood that there will
not be a very great difference between
the total assessment for the current
fiscal year, $4,000, 900, and the total
for the next fiscal year.
The finance committee of Council
tonight will arrange for conferences
with each of the various city depart
ments. at which meetings the boards
Will explain the budgets they have
submitted and tell why they want the
sums of cash for which they have ask
ed for the next year. After these
hearings the finance committee will
settle down to the work OF making
up the city budget for the year be-
ginning July / and the amounts TO be
apportioned TO each department. The
committee will also fix the tax rate
for next year.
Whether there will be any change
from the present rate of s190 on the
800 OF assessment will depend largely
upon the amounts allowed the city
departments. In view of the under
standing that the total assessment
does not differ materially from that OF
the current year the finance commit
tee will have one of the two things
to do for next year. either increase
the rate If the departmental requests
are to be granted, as this will have
TO be done TO secure all the money
for which they have asked, or else
reduce the department budgets and
let the present tax rate stand, thereby
placing upon the various directors tn,
task of worrying over the finance anC
trying TO make both ends meet durins
the next fiscal year. The latter pro
cedure is the one ii is understood III,
finance committee VIII pursue.
III the tax rate is allowed to stanC
as at present there will be especially
heavy cuts in the budgets of the Pub
lie Safety Department and the Boar,
Of Education. The latter department
expects 10 receive approximately $50.
900 more from the state this year thar
last because of an excess Of funds
in hand. and there will be about $50,
600 coming to the city board from tn,
State as the city's share of the films
fee receipts. The department. how
ever, is asking for a large increas
over their appropriation for the cur
rent year. They are also asking 70
an increase of 81 900 in the salary o
the business manager and for enough
money TO employ an assistant in tn
managers office. The increases al
/ lowed the school teachers in accord
ance with the schedule in effect vii
total about $50, 900 additional.
The combined estimated budget O
the police and fire bureaus is less tha
the amount asked for this year, bu
some of the Councilmen are said I
hold to the belief that the figure
could be pared down. but how this /
10 be done without reducing the per
sonnel of the police or fire department
or else cutting down the pay of tn
members of the two departments wi
have TO be figured out later.