Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-25
A Five-Year Budget.

Auditor Donovan has prepared, and
the Commissioners now are studying, q
five-year financial program for the Dis
trict which budgets the anticipated
revenues and expenditures Of the nlu-
nicipality beginning July, 1880. Taking
the probable income from taxation
based on the existing rate CT $l.70, and
anticipating a continuance for the next
five years of the nine-million dollar
lump-sum policy, Auditor Donovan bal
ances this amount against list Of need
ed Improvements, expansions and the
annual maintenance cost Of the munich
pal establishment. BY judicious use OF
the surplus revenues accumulated to the
credit of the District in the Treasury,
the auditor is Of the opinion that the
pressing needs of the District can be
cared for without an increase in the tax
rate.
The community will take much in
terest in this program, and it is to be
hoped that the Commissioners will make
it available for public examination soon.
Before it is put into final form for sub
mission to Congress the various civic
organizations which represent the voice.
less residents of the Capital, but which
in recent years have been invited by the
Commissioners to examine and COM
ment upon the annual budgets, should
be consulted and requested to submit
their views. As much interest will at
tach to what the program fails to in
clude as to what it does include, and a
great Zeal of interest will center on
whether the five-year program contem-
plates using large proportion of local
revenue and Increasingly small pro-
portion of Federal revenue upon those
national or semi-national projects which
should be considered as separate and
distinct from the purely local undertake
ings of the District government.
It is premature to conjecture upon
the nature of the items included in Mr..
Donovan's program. But there should
be two separate lists of items. One list
should set forth the needs Of the Dis
trict, in terms Of maintenance and
capital outiays, while q second list
should itemize those national or semi
national projects which should be
financed outside of the Districts annual
supply bills.
One of the most iniquitous aspects of
the nine million dollar lump-sum policy
has been the practice of appropriating
for semi-national projects through the
regular District appropriation bills. AS
long as the District and the Federal
Government shared between them the
cost Of maintaining and improving the
Capital this was the logical method.
Since this lawful and equitable arrange
rnent was conveniently discarded, prof.
ects which are Federal from the stage
Of their conception to the time of their
completion are Jumped into the District
bill, with the residents of the District
paying the piper and witnessing more
important projects. from the local
standpoint. discarded and left to be
taken care Of later. The result is that
such important local expansion pro-
grams as concern the schools, libraries
and sewerage system are behind, while
enticing pictures are being painted Of q
municipal center that will cost millions
and park program to cost more mil
lions.
The fve-year financial plan is excel
lent. The year-to-year method of bud
getting and planning for the develop
ment of the American Capital is short
sighted: The whole machinery for ap-
propriating for the Capital is made
quate, as far as seeing ahead is con-
cerred, with the result that annual ap-
preparation bills have a restricted and
curtailed outlook Whether or not Con-
gress chooses to adopt q modified FIVE
year budget for the District, statement
covering the revenues and the needs OF
the District for the next five years
should prove of invaluable assistance in
drawing up the year-to-year appropria-
tons.