San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-28
SAYS BOARD
HAS Wasted
BOND MONEY
Pfeiffer Will Make Official
Report on School Site
Purchase.
QUOTES TAX FIGURES
Declares South Flores
Property Sold by Board
Worth 100000.

A formal report on the valuation Of
the South Flores street school prop
crty and the old electric park property.
US figured on the city tax rolls will be
made to the city commission by Tax
Commissioner John Z. Pfciifcr Thurs
day afternoon. This is pursuant ia
Il request made upon the tax commits
Sioner last Monday when the question
of the city's giving quit claim deed
to the South Flores street property
arose. The San Antonio school board
required this deed to perfect the title
TO the property. which is involved in a
trade f r the electric park site.
Commissioner pfciffcr, in ssnounc-
ing his intention of submitting the re
port Wednesday. said that he would
show that the school board paid APP
proXimatCly S104.O0 for property
valued by the tax assessor at 500, G62
The electric park property, his report
will show. is valued ON the tax rolls
as city blocks 3i5, 317 and 3d.. with
money valuations respectively of 3d..
$50: $10.079 and $1T,S03, making O
total of Sj0,662. 1t is assessed at
thrcc~fourths OF its valu or approx.
matcly S3SOOO.
Says Taxpayers the Losers.
The South Flores street property. on
the other hand. is valued at $73.3T1.
The school board. in its trade, how
ever reserved a portion of the land
which the assessor values at S342O.
The property actually Involved in the
deal, therefore. is valued at $69,9Jl
and assessed Mt three -fOurths value or
$52 AGO.
The School Board" Commissioner
Pfcffcr said. is paying $4,000 in cash
and giving in trade the South Flores
street property valued at $G9.951, ." a
total consideration of SlO4.9Ji, where
as the actual value Of the electric park
site is only &JO.662. The taxpayers
of the city will lose the difference.
The valuations on the South Flores
street prOpciN-,. the tax commissioner
pointed out. will be increased in the
new assessment period. which will still
further add to the disadvantages Of the
deal. In addition. he said, the electric
park site must be iut"rsGctCd with
streets. in order to maxi it accessible
which will still further dctract from
its monetary value.
In formal statement "Wednesday.
the tax commissioner explained that
he is making the report to the council
on it's own request and that he has no
personal interest in the matter what
sOcvcT.
Il do not care what the council does
officially" the tax commissioner said.
but when I'm asked to give an Upin-
ion on transaction or any figures
with reference to the value of prop
crty, based on our apprai>al>, by any
citizen. | consider it my duty to make
that report.
II have no prejudice against mem
her, of the San Antonio School Board,
but they arc public officials and the
public is entitled to know how their
money is being spent.
Claims School Funds Wasted.
"Whilc the school board has seen
fiji to criticize my expenditure of $40
600 for a tax survey, it didn't hesitate
to take advantage of every dollars in
crease brought about by that survey
and levy 4 higher maintenance tax
rate. Even after the board had fixed
ir< budget and stated that It would be
~ cents on valuation Of S1I9,OOO.-
600 or &SJU.;,20. and it found that the
valuations were $1SO,O0OO0O, this
budget was changed and increased in
order to consume the difference
The only criticism heretofore made
of tho $4,000 expenditure for the tax
survey. the tax commissioner asserted.
has been that it increased values.
Yet the school board he said,
maid two or three times as much for
propCrty it has acquired lately. as that
propcrty was assessed on the tax rolls.
If our assessed valuations are really
high. as it is claimed. then the school
board has paid many times over what
the property is worth.
Referring to the criticisms of the
school board that his opposition Is
only TO the "eytravagancc and waste
of bond funds" adding that Il think
the facts will bear out my charge that
the public school funds have been
wasted"