The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1925-10-15

As will be noted by the advertise
ment in this issue, the annual equal
ization meeting of the board Of the
Columbia Irrigation district will be
held on November 7th at 1:30 pm
This is for the equalization of the
1925 assessment roll, so called be-
cause it is made up and certified to
the county treasurer in 1925, this il
is probably in May and November
of next year, or 1926.
After thorough consideration at the
budget meeting in July, the board
retained the same rates that have
been in force for the past two years
By very careful handling the district
can be run on these levies and a
slight gain can be made in its war
rant account. It was felt that the
rates should be held as low as pos
sible for another year, till we can
see the. silver lining of the cloud
that has hung over the farming in
dustry the past several seasons.
For the information of many who
are not familiar with the districts
affairs, it may be well to give a brief
outline of how these rates are ar
rived at. The district has q bonded
debt of $55O,O0O on which it pays
six per cent interest. This calls for
$33, 3,O0O a year, half January first
and half July first. With only ordin-
ary maintenance and no bad breaks
or lawsuits, the system itself can be
run year for a total cost of be-
tween twenty and twenty-one thous-
and dollars, if no extra work is done
to increase its capacity and safety
We know, however, that it is highly
necessary to keep improving the sys-
tenn and increasing its capacity q
little each year, and this is being
done. Each year certain tight places
are opened up and certain danger
spots are removed. From four to sew
en- thousand dollars of the years ex-
pense goes into permanent improve
nents of the system. So the actual
expense for all costs outside interest
has varied from % to 27 thousand
dollars in the last four years. The
budgets estimate for next year is
based on cost of $22,5 800 and, with
rather heavy ditchwork program
in the fall and spring, We shall have
to cut ali the corners possible to keep
within it.
Besides the above there is an item
Of about $24OO interest on our war
rant Indebtedness. So then the. ex-
penses of the district for the next
year sum up as follows:
Bond Interest -............---. $4,000
Warrant Interest -----...---- 2,4OO
Maintenance and operation 22,5OO
We have three sources of outside
income, water rentals, land sales, and
land leases for pasture. We have on
hand some $1,000 in contracts fol
lands on payments, and we collected
$1187.5O for pasture leases last seas
on. Our income in sight from these
sources for next year is $500, which
subtracted from above total leaves
S49, 400 to raise by assessment.
The same rates in force the last
two years, namely $3.50 per acre on
old water right lands, and $7.4O on
new water right lands, just produces
enough revenue to cover the bill,
making due allowances for probable
delinquencies.
It will be noted that nearly two
thirds of the assessment a farmer
pays is for interest on money the
district has borrowed. This must be
paid in full on the day it is due, OF
Al, d;s+rict is in default and its credit
is shot to pieces. This is matter OF
vital Importance, and the present
board feels strongly that the credit
of the district must be kept gilt
edged. The district is always borrow.
ing through the operation of its war.
rants, and it may be necessary te
carry out some form Of refunding as