New Britain herald., 1925-03-14
GOVERNMENT COST
 IN THIS CITY LOW
Gut Down Per Capita Expense
 in 1928 by S1
BY GEORGB n, MANNING. (Washlnston Bureau ot N, B, Heraldl

Washington, D. C., March It. New Britain cut down the expenses of her city government more than dollar for every inhabtant of the city in 1923, it was learned today.
 While in 1922. the per capita cost of the municipal government of New Britain came to $4190, in 1928, the city had reduced it's expenses 10
 per capita Of $40.Sl, according To study of the municipal finances Of | New Britain completed by the |, S. | Department of Commerce today.
 Moreover, New Britain's city gov
 crnncnt cost has been kept lower
 than those of most of the larger
 cities of Connecticut. The cost of
 running the municipality of Bridge
 port in 1928 amounted to $45.2l
 prr capita. while Waterbury spent in
 ,nal year S5l.51 for every inhabitant
 10 maintain it's city administration. Figures for the municipal finances
 Of New Haven. Hartford, Mcridcn land stamford during the year 1923,
 have not yet been compiled by the
 department but in the preceding
 year, both Hartford and Stamford had higher government costs than
 New Britain. lIartrords per capi-
 ta government cost in that year
 came 10 $5t53, and Stamford's to
 $4S.19. Mcriden, with a per capita
 expense of $S1.91, and New Haven,
 with S37.70, however, were ahead
 of New Britain in 1922 in the matter
 of economical administration.
 Total payments for expenses, in-
 terest. and outlays for the city gov
 crnment of New Britain for the
 fiscal year 1923 amounted to
 S2.59S,7S9. In 1922, the total pay ments for the city were S26Ol,761. Since 1918, the cost of maintain ing the government of New Britain has advanced some @ per cent. In that year, the administrations eX- pcnses came to only $l,404,21l, or S25.19 per capita.
 Of the total outlay for the city government of New Britain in 1923 ! $LG1G,494 went for the expenses of operating the general departments of the city government; S179,1S6 1 went for the expenses of operating | the public service enterprises; $205,- | 206 went for interest on debt; and | $597,903 for outlays for permanent | improvements.
 | During tho year the city took in in total revenue receipts, $2,@t9,2S7 | or S34.65 per capita This was | $21S,351 more than the total pay l mcnts for the year exclusive of those l for permanent improvements, but | $S79,552 less than the total pay / ments including permanent improve - ments. Property taxes represented - 76.2 per cent of the total revenue fol q 1923, as compared with 79.7 pei l cent for 1922, and 6G per cent fol
 1918. The increase in tho amoun'
 per cent from 1918 to 1922, bu n per cent from 1918 to 1922, bub
 there was a decrease of per cen'
 from 1922 10 1923. Per capita
 property taxes were $26.54 in 1923 = $2S95 in 1922, and sl5.58 in 1918 Where the earnings of public 4 service enterprises represented 14.' Il per cent of the citys revenue foI z 1918, they contributed only 9.7 pc M cent in 1923, it was reported
 At the close of the fiscal yea E 1923. New Britain's net indebted
 ness stood at $h415,424, 0 - $69.34 per capita. The public deb - thus had increased nearly eight dol U lars per person in the year, it beini E s61,S5 per capita in 1922. In 1918
 the per capita debt was s56.SG.
 The assessed valuation of prOpert
 in New Britain subject to tax fo M the city corporation for 1923, wa @ $90S7,469, The tax levy for al ~ purposes for 1923 was $2,170,166, 0 = which 94.7 per cent went to th N city, f per cent to the state, and l.. N per cent 10 the county, Tho pc
 capita tax levy for city, state an N county was S34.6S.