Evening star., 1927-10-31


seriously consider the idea. The
warmest advocates of the plan admit
that 1t will take at least a year to
work it out.
The present assessed value of real
property in the whole county, used as
a basis for the county tax levy this
year, is approximately $40,000,000.
Since it is estimated by advocates Of
the new city that nearly $4,000, 900 of
this value is in the upper part of the
county and within the area which it
Is proposed to convert into a city, this
means that about half of the present
county tax is now being paid by per-
sons who would become residents of
the new municipality If the plan is
carried out.
The special committee of inquiry
appointed by the Hyattsville Chamber
of Commerce, intends to go more thor
oughly into the question Of cost in
working out the details Of the city
plan.
County Levy Of 1927.
A recapitulation of the county levy
of 1927 may be enlightening in this
connection as showing how the money
now raised in the county by the tax
of S1.62 for every 500 of assessed
value is being spent. The total of the
county budget is S671,6S1. BY far the
largest amount is for schools, and next
comes the big expenditure for roads.
These are items in which residents Of
the proposed new city are vitality in
terested, and these figures will enter
into all Of the discussions in the 2S
communities from Mount Rainier to
Hollywood.
The levy for public schools Is $372,.
GOO. To this must be added $34,750
for interest on county school bonds
redeem school bonds. The item for
roads is S121,037. with an additional
$l0,925 for interest on lateral road
bonds and $4,000 for the sinking fund
to redeem lateral road bonds.
The amount of outstanding county
school bonds is $776,5O0. The out.
standing bond issue for general road
bonds is $4,000, for county lateral
road bonds $225,00O, and for Edmon.
ston road bonds $4,000.
Outstanding courthouse bonds
amount to $6S.000. The budget in
cludes $500 for interest on old court
house bonds and the same amount for
a sinking fund on these bonds; also
$1,000 for interest on the new court
house bonds, with $4,000 for sinking
fund on the same.
Other Items in Budget.
The other items in the county bud.
get are: County Commissioners, 81 500;
clerk of the Circuit Court, S2,7S4.S5;
clerks to the County Commissioners,
$4,000; county treasurer, $4,000; coun-
sci to County Commissioners, $500;
transfer clerk and auditor, $1,000;
physician to jail, 800: warden to pail,
81, 1899; fuel for courthouse and Jail,
$1,000; keeper of courthouse grounds
and heating plant, $1,000; guard to Jail,
$1,095; Orphans Court, $1,72S; mes
senger to Orphans Court, 500; regis.
ter of wills, $7S9.S9; supervisor Of as.
sessments, $4,000; clerks to supervisor
of assessments, 400; jurors and bail
ifs, $1,000; lunatic paupers, $4,000:
States attorney, $1,500; sheriffs,
s5,747.SO; almshouse, So, 500; secretary
to Board of Health, etc, $3.50; con.
stables accounts. $4,940.50; magis.
trates' accounts, $1,228.35; fox scalps,
$50; defense Of criminals. $205; expert
witnesses, etc, $525; registration of
vital statistics, $779.65; out-pensioners,
1851; jurors of inquest, $212; hawks
heads, $3.50; public printing. $973.25;
store accounts, $344.1S; taxes refunded,
s33193; stationery, s2,297.92; burying
paupers, 1892: trials, removed cases,
S297.50; miscellaneous, $8,083.40 coun.
ty agents, $1,730; local farm agent, col.
ored. $500; home demonstration agent,
$1,700; State witnesses before justices
Of the peace, $4.95; county social
worker, s2.40o; elections. $4,000; pub.
lie health nurse, $1,260, and Police
Court, $4,000.
Arthur P. Owens of Decatur Heights.
chairman Of the committee on inquiry
Of the Hyattsville Chamber OF Com
merce. who is enthusiastically in favor
of the new city scheme, has estimated
that the city would have about $780,
900 Of annal revenue. He reaches this
figure by supposing that under the
new assessment the value of property
in the city area will be approximately
$25, 900 900. He places the average of
the present town taxes at 38 cents for
each $100 of valuation, and adds that
to the present county tax of $l,62,
giving a tax for the new city Of 50
for every 800 Of valuation, exclusive
of the State tax.
1t is likely that most of the items in
the county budget would be found in
the city budget, although some
amounts would be less. as in many
instances the expense would be di-
vided. However. no allowances are
made in the above budget for such
city expenses as a fire department and
a modern police department, garbage
collection and disposal. etc. 1t has
been roughly estimated that the fire
department for the new city. would
cost about $4,000 a year and the
police department the same.
Believes S5OO,O0 Sufficient.
Mr.. Owens believes that the esti.
mated $500,00 of revenue would cover
all of the expenses Of the proposed
city. Other persons are not so sure
Of this, and think that a slight in.
crease in taxation might be neces.
sary. The prospect of a tax increase
for the operation Of new and up-to.
date city Is soaring some persons away
from the plan, but 1t has no terrors
for others, who say they would be
willing to pay more taxes If they could
get their moneys worth in city
benefits.
At present the incorporated towns
within the projected city area get back
from the county about three -fourths
of the amount levied for roads This
Is known as the road rebate" If the
city should be made a special, sepa.
rate tax area, advocates of the plan
say the entire amount levied for roads
in the area would be available for ex.
penditure there. instead of part Of it
going for roads in the more sparsely
settled farming sections of the lower
county.
1t is taken for granted that il a city
should be created az q separate tax
area, 1t would have to assume it's
share Of the county bonds for school.
houses and roads. Whether the lower
part Of the county in such an event
would insist that a portion Of the
courthouse bonds also being assumed
by the new city is only conjectural.
But 1t is conceivable that such a claim
would be put forth, in view of the
fact that the present courthouse at
Upper Marlboro was erected for ,ea h,,