Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-07-01
t.c TAX RATE FIXED.
t 5AT slAHR$ND
Lower Rate Than Antieipat-
ed Gives Pleasant Surprise
to Local Property Owners.
INCREASE OF 20 CENTS

Amount Made Necessary by Great
Hser Appropriations and Fiscal
So Relations Change.
iSr1
a. Tae tax rate on real estate and
tangible personal property in the
District for the new fiscal year will
be S1.40 per, s10e OF assessed value.
the Commissioners announced follow
ing board meeting today.
announcement of this figure was
an unexpected surprise, since it had
been predicted that the new rate
would probably go as high as $3.50.
5, The old rate was 40. SO that the
effect of this order will be to add to
tax bills in November and next May
30 cents on each 800 of assessment.
An unexpected increase Of approx
mately $33,000,000 in the total as
sessed value of real estate was the
principal factor that enabled the au-
ditor to make the new rate as low as
s1.40.
rf Reason for Increase.
The fixing OF a higher tax rate for
the new year is due to the increase
in the total amount appropriated in
the coming twelve months, together
with the fact that Congress changed
the fiscal relations in such a way
that the Districts proportion of the
expenses is greater than last year
Elm submitting his report to the
commissioners, n which the new tax
a uunS hQ0 aA Aoi nnvpi nl Nv,
nan, auditor, revealed that the old
Fate of $1.20. with other sources OF
revenue, including the tax on intan-
.gible property. the tax on utilities,
collections from miscellaneous
sources, there was collected a total
revenue of $15,073,744.
+ Continuing his report, the auditor
said:
n THE total obligation against the
revenue collection for 1924 represent
nd by the regular District aproprfa-
zion acts for that year. deficiency ap-
Preparations, and the second fifth OF
10 $15, 061 ,744.57.
< The revenue collections, therefore,
for the fiscal year 1924 exceeded the
appropriation charges by 11.999.s4.
Thfs amount, together with the credit
tp the District of Columbia arising
from the unexpended balances of APP
propriations carried to surplus by
Warrants of the Secretary of the
Treasury, enabled the District to
Garry forward to the fiscal year 1925
10 be considered as an element in
fixing the tax rate for that year. a
.revenue credit of $597, 1913
& Contribution OF United States.
Z For the fiscal year ending June
30, 1925, the total amount appropri-
sated by the District appropriation act
As $26.474,30S, from which is deducted
items chargeable to the water fund
amounting to $1.1s6,S60, and items
ehargeable to the gasoline tax fund
amounting to 1925 900. leaving the
amount to be paid from revenues OF
the United States and the District OF
columbia $24,s52, 44s. The contribu-
tion by the United States for the
6scal year 1925 is 100000, leaving
the net amount to be raised by the
District of Columbia, on the basis of
the amount appropriated by the Dis
trict of Columbia appropriation act
SIS, 362,44S.
! To this amount must be added the
third sixth of the cash fund of 3d.
900 900, or 100000; the estimated ex
penditure for refunding enormously
paid taxes, $4,000; the estimated ex-
penditure for extension of streets and
avenues, $4,000; increases in salary
of officers and members of the police
ana Hre departments anu OfQCerS ana
teacherS in the public schools, to-
gether with other miscellaneous items
in the second deficiency appropriation
act for 1924. which failed of passage,
amounting for the several purposes
as a charge against the revenues of
the District Of Columbia, s2,545, s4s.
A further item of 100000 is also
added as the estimated deficiency in
Appropriations for the fiscal year
1926. For all of the several purposes
f-l 81
Against the District revenues for the
fiscal year 1925 are $18,99s, 1876 ICON
tidered for the purpose of fixing a tax
Fate as $1s,008.000).
I Estimated Revenues.
The estimated revenues for the
ihscal year 1925 start with revenue
credit of s5e7,157, brought forward
From the fiscal year 1924; estimated
OBJECTIONS of tax for Intangible per-
sonal property. $2,000,D00; estimated
collections Of tax for utilities, banks
building associations, etc, $1,70O,000;
estimated collections or penalties for
overdue taxes, $125, 060; estimated COL
1ections from various miscellaneous
sources, $2,000,000. This leaves $12,-
$4,000 to be raised by the applica ton
of tax rate to real estate and
tangible personal property.
THE estimated total assessed val
uation Of taxable real estate for the
fiscal year 1925 is $500, GOO, 600, and
Tor tangible personal property, $109 ,000,-
coo, making a total estimated valuation
for both purposes for the fiscal year 1925
OF $500. 08o 900. The application of a
tAx rate Of $1.48 on each 500 OF the
full valuation assessment Of real es-
safe and tangible property will, there
fore, produce an estfmated revenue
Of S12, SOC, GOO. II 10, therefore, recon-
mended that the order set forth. at
the beginning OF this report, hxing q
rate of $1.49 for the year 1925. be ap-
proved by the Com mfssioners"