The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-10
City Valuation Increased-Bud-
get Must Now Be Changed.
Old Levy Would Raise $43,97O
More on New Valuation.
COMMISSION MAY CUT LEVY
If Amount Raised Is To Be
Same, Levy Comes Down.
But Commission Must Rewrite
Budget in Any Case.

The city tax dope kettle was un-
tremendously kicked over and the
contents, which had just about reach
ed the boiling point, were scrambled.
when the state tax commission or
dered the valuation of Shawnee
county property raised.
The budget will have to be all re-
written, refought over, and quite much
painful figuring on the part of F. L.
Stevens, city finance commissioner,
will have to be done over again.
Valuation Raised $4,1S6,477.
The valuation of property in the
city of Topeka has been increased by
$4,136.477, over the original valuation
of $71,35O,167, certified a few days
ago to the city commission by the
clerk of Shawnee county.
This means that the total valuation
for the taxable property in the city of
Topeka for 1923 is $75,4s6,644. The
same levy of 1868 mills on the dol
lar which was made last year and
contemplated for this year, would
raise $802, ,422.92, instead of the $685.
$4,000 which would have been raised
on the original valuation certified by
the county clerk before the order of
the state tax commission. This is an
increase in the amount of money
raised, of $43,970.92.
The valuations on city lots and i'm
pTOfS1HSAlS nave DSSH 1nCT6dSeu ny ~
per cent by the order or the state tax
commission.
This puts the commission back on
the horns of a hydra-headed dilemma.
If they stick by the levy of 1868 mills
on the dollar. which was the levy of
last year and the levy which they
planned to apply this year, under the
increased valuation, they will have al
most $4,000 more money from city
taxes.
On the other hand, If they decide
that they don't want to raise a greater
amount of money this year than they
raised last year. they will have to re-
adjust all their levies, for their various
funds. downward.
More for General Fund.
1t had been indicated before the
change in the valuation had been or
dered by the state tax commission,
that the city would try to struggle
along on the same amount Of money
which was raised last year. In the
general fund, where more money was
needed worse than anywhere else, the
levy of last year was the legal maxi
mum. Now the increased valuation
gives an opportunity for raising more
m oney in the general fund, under that
legal maximum.
On the basis of the new valuation
of SIS, ,4S6,6 644, the six-mill legal maxi
mum levy for the general fund would
the valuation which was first certified
to the city commission by the city
clerk, the general fund would have
received only $42S,101.00. The diff
ference. $24.S2s.S6, would help out
quite a lot, in the face of the calls
of the police and fire department for
more money from the general fund
next year.
Won't Raise Taxes.
But Mayor Corwine- has indicated
his belief that it will not be necessary
to raise taxes in the city of Topeka
next year. The mayor asserted that
he believed the various funds could be
pared and rearranged in order to OBJ
viate this necessity.
If this attitude IS adhered to by the
commission, and it is decided not to
take advantage of the possibility of
raising an additional $43, $40 on the
increased valuation without changing
the levy-it means that the whole
budget and levy will have to be re-
adjusted to suit the situation.
But II the commission decides to let
higher valuation-then provision has
to be made in the budget for the
ALLEGATION of the additional money.
Budget in the Air.
In the meanwhile. the budget is in
the air, and so are most of the COM
missioners. There has been no in
dication yet as to whether they mean
to let tho old levy go thru. or to cut
it down, and raise the same amount
of money for meeting the expenses
of the city that they had last year.
It has been intimated that the bud
get, on the basis of the old valuation
and the old levy, was about ready to
certify to the county clerk. Now it
isn't.