The New York herald., 1922-10-31
RECORD CITY BUDGET
MUST PASS TONIGHT
Citizens Union Says 1t Ex-
cccds Constitutional Limit
by $4,000, 900.
PROPOSES WAYS TO CUT
Finds No Mandatory Excuse
for $17,OO0,000 Admins
trative Diversion.
PROPOSES WAYS TO CUT

The proposed budget for 1928 must
be adopted at midnight tonight Ac-
cording to a statement given out last
night by the Citizens Union : exceeds
the constitutional limit by about S5.1tv.-
COO. The total is $361,767,bs5, AMOUR
s1l 100000 greater than the 1922 bud
.4 and the largest in the history OF the
city.
says;
..rhc excess of the proposed budget
over the constitutional limit is ascer-
tanned as follows;
Total of proposed SOC, -s- "a, 20
budget .......st "o"'i'N''O
Deduct as excluded from the
constitutional lmita ton
state taxes. ST., 500, ,e2S,oi
Redemption OF ana
interest long o,co "a
term debt. 66, 6,34S,o3b.sS to,vts'<<V.oo
To be raised for city purposes
by taxes and from revenues ,. oo
OF the city. y.........,....s.. iessokS,sfo'VV
Deduct estimated city revenues ~
other than taxes, .....,..,. Ss,oVoeV.oo
Portion of proposed budget
s..J L :. !. .itutiv..al
per cent. limitation. .s2i9. .s2S. 90
'The constitution restricts the city's
tax capacity to . per cent. Of the as
sessed valuation or real estate and per-
sonal property. Assuming that the city
will be able to maintain these at about
$40, roc, 900, 900 after review and the
swearing off OF inflated personal tax
valuations and after making the neces-
sary deductions for exemptions under
the new housing tax exemption law that
would fix the constitutional limit Tor the
1923 budget at s2l4, 100000. or $685..
345.09 less than the amount of the pro-
4. a. tl.A
tional limitation. This sum the Board
Of Estimate must cut from the proposed
budget.
''The proposed budget contains in-
creases OF $sS2.Ss2.s5 in personal SER
vice and s4,l73,515.2l for other than
personal service. a total increase of
S5.l0G2S7.56 over the tentative budget.
II also made decreases OF S876.175.99 in
personal service and Sl,S66,974.45 In
other than personal service, or a total
of $2.7iS.150.44 below the tentative
budget. II the Board Of Estimate will
now in the final budget hold the de-
creases which it made In the proposed
budget below the tentative budget and
cut out OF the increases which II made
in the proposed bud over the tenta-
tive budget it will b. nabled to make a
constitutional tax levy.
Still further reductions should be
made to make the budget not only con-
stitutional but also responsive to the
well founded public demand for a re-
9uction in the expenses OF government
Mayor Hylan has referred in general
terms to mandatory Increases forced ON
the city by the last Legislature. 1t
would interest taxpayers to have him
make a specific statement, il he can.
AS a. matter of fact, there has been no
mandatory legislation 10 serve as an
excuse fer the diversion TO administra-
tive expenses for $l7.637, ,03s.S9 saved In
the reduction by that amount in State
taxes and city debt service. Nor can
any part Of the s2.363,247.l2 increase IN
the proposed budget over the tentative
budret he charged to the Department
OF Education, because that appropria-
tion is reduced by S225.000 in the pro-
posed budget"