The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-28
SCHOOL LEVY
OF S1.34 WILL
Be FOUGHT
Tax Rate Raise of 90 Cents
to Bring Issue Before
State Board.
CITY ITEMS REDUCED
Council SIasheS TO $1.10
Figure Which Prevailed
This Year.

NlNlC OEBdIllNdJlOilS dilu lilSI JoA
opponents today prepared to fight
the 1880 school city tax levy of S1.34,
on each 500 worth of taxable prop
erty, before the state tax board,
after school commissioners Tuesday
night announced the new levy which
represents a 32-cent increase over
the 1929 rate.
City councilmen Tuesday night
also agreed on a city levy of $1l0,
the same as this year. Since the
city rate is not increased. it is not
expected to be appealed to the tax
board.
Harry Miesse, secretary of the In
diana Taxpayers Association, said
he will take immediate action to
bring the school city levy before
state officials. Charles w. Kern,
board member. said he will sign
the remonstrance to the school levy.
No Changes Made
The school budget and levy was
adopted by the board without
change. except for a library fund
increase.
With Theodore F. Vonnegut abb
sent, President Charles w. Kern,
other minority faction member, re-
served criticism of the budget until
hearing before the state tax board.
Kern declared he had no oppor-
tunity to see copy of the budget
until about fifteen minutes before
the meeting opened, adding that
no one could study such an inn
portant matter sufficiently to pass
on it in. such a short time"
To Fred Kepner'S retort that Kern
could have attended the budget
sessions of the board. Kern made
no reply.
Salary Fund Increased
The board voted to increase the
library salary budget from $22S,000
to S233,o00. eliminating an item of
$4,000 in the library capital outlay
fund for real estate.
This followed a statement of
Librarian Luther L. Dickerson that
the $223,0o0 item would force salary
reductions Jan. at the library and
would mean reducing the staff.
S. E. Eikenberry, assistant secre-
tary, explained the figure had been
arrived at by doubling the library
salary expenditures for the first six
months of this year. Dickerson said
salaries had been held down and the
staff reduced the first half of the
year to permit the usual minor
salary and staff increases this fall.
viii Appeal Items
Organizations scrutinizing the
school budget have indicated they
will appeal the 100000 working bal
ance item. and S1,116,000 capital out
lav for new buildings and real estate.
These reductions, together with
certain others, it was said, would
reduce the levy to a figure little.
if any. higher than the $1.02 levy
for this year.
The city levy will be formally
fixed and the money appropriated
Thursday night at a special council
session at 6 o. m. After a series of
conferences with william H. Book,
Chamber of Commerce civic direc-
tor, the council finance committee
decided to slash cents from the
SLIT rate requested by Mayor L.
Ert Slack.
County Auditor Harry Dunn
placed the valuation of taxable
property at s68S, $4,000. while the
budget was prepared on an esti-
mate of $3.50, 6,o00,O0o The valuation
of taxables is an increase of s7,000.-
600 over last year.
General Levy Cut
The proposed 65-cent general fund
levy on each Sl00 of taxables was
cut to g. cents by the council.
Other special levies follow: Flood
prevention, S.015; city sinking, $.o4;
war memorial sinking, soO25; police
pension, S.G2: street ,resurfacing
S02: thoroughfare, Sol; street i'm
provement, s.o4l; public health
s.oe4; school health. sol; tubercu-
losis prevention, $.0025: parks
s.0574; park sinking, s.o381; rec
reation. $.0135; sanitation, S.o7, and
sanitation sinking, $o28.
The Chamber of Commerce made
the following recommendations:
Pooling of city autos; consolidation
of eighteen separate civil funds;
purchase of coal to obtain quantity
rates and limiting the number oi
Indebtedness certificates issued.
The council denied the safety
boards request for employment o1
thirty new policemen, but allowed
an appropriation for the purchase oi
fifteen new motorcycles.