Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1922-10-12
COUNCIL 1RETRACEs FOOTSTEPS.
Raises, Then Lowers, Taxes Levy for
Current Year.

Raises, Then Lowers, Taxes Levy for
Current Year.
Within the last ten days the town
council OF Fort Mill has marched up
the hill and down again. The tax
levy to meet the needs of the town
government for the year 1922 is not
to be 20 mills, as was agreed upon
in an ordinance passed at a meeting
OF council on October 3, but is now
fixed at II mills, according to the
provisions Of supplementary ordi-
nance adopted at a special session OF
council Monday evening.
For the yeas 1921 a tax OF Is mills
was levied by council to keep the
town government going The amount
OF money brought into the treasury
from the Is mills seems to have been
sIfhcient to meet current expenses,
out LETT surplus Of only about 81 900
to be applied to outstanding indebt-
edness incurred by a former council
for street improvements. 1t was to
materially reduce this old debt and at
the same time save the taxpayers the
interest on it that brought about the
ordinance increasing the levy from Is
mills to 20 mills. according to the
statement Of Arthur G. Lytle, mayor,
who also called attention to the fact
that this year for the first time the
sanitary department OF the town is
being supported by direct taxation
instead OF by quarterly collections
We have not gone in hole in
running the towns affairs this year"
said Mr.. Lytle, but we thought it
good business judgment to add q few
mills to the levy to wipe out, or as
nearly wipe out as we could, the in
d"btedness put on the town by the
council of 1917 for cement sidewalks.
The bank which loaned the town the
money with which to have the work
done wants the loan cancelled, and
that does not seem unreasonable.
This year for the first time the town
will have to collect 81 900 with which
to create sinking fund on account
OF the $4,000 street bond issue ap-
proved by the voters in 1920, and in
ouuitioil W ludl We SHALL nave puy
tho interest on the entire bond issue.
besides creating other sinking funds.
one Of $240 for waterworks bonds IS
sued few months ago. the other OF
$500 for Main street paving bonds.
or course it gave us no pleasure to
increase the levy this year, but we
were forced to meet conditions over
u,hsn ln
Numerous taxpayers Of Fort Mil!
do not concede, however, that 1t is
necessary for the town to increase
the levy this year over that of last
year and 1t is understood that the
meeting Of council Monday evening,
when the levy was fixed at II mills
instead Of 20 mills, was due to the
pI otest made by these taxpayers to
individual members of council. These
citizens did not mince words in en-
pressing the opinion that the town
has spent too much money this year
and that, at best, it's affairs are not
conducted along approved lines. IL
AM convinced" said one Of the num-
Der, that council is boring with an
augur several sizes too big. II the
town is not burdened with too many
employees, for one thing, 1t at least
is paying salaries larger than its in
come and the amount Of work to be
performed justify. What good does it
do the property owners Of Fort Mill
for the Legislature to cut mills off
the State levy II it is to be put right
hDo I~,,x
are too hard to increase our taxes"