Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-15
Commissioners Begin Franz
ing of Districts 1881 Re-
uuirements Tomorrow.
$53,O56,5O5 DEMANDS
TO BE CUT S4,50O,OO0
Department Heads to Be Consulted
in Reducing Record Figure
to $4S, 100000.

The 1881 municipal budget, which the
Commissioners will begin framing to-
morrow, will be predicated on con-
tinuance of the existing $1.70 tax rate,
it was indicated today at the District
Building.
The Commissioners, it was said, have
been rather firmly convinced by Maj.
Daniel j. Donovan, auditor and budget
officer, that the $170 levy will produce
sufficient revenue to support the unpre-
cedented budget planned for the 1891
fiscal year. And despite its size, this
budget will not include some of the
important public improvements adj
vocated in recent months, but the Com
missioners are represented as feeling
that the tax rate should not be in
creased to provide them.
The new budget will be based on the
recommendations of the various depart
ment heads of the District government
calling for appropriations totaling $751;
056,505, or Sill ,461 800 more than pro-
Vided by Congress for the coming fiscal
year beginning July l. The Commits
Sioners. however, intend to trim this
figure to approximately $48,500 900. the
amount recommended by Maj. Donovan
in his flve-year financial program as
we'll as in a recent report on the esti-
mates of the department heads.
Conferences Before Cuts.
The Commissioners plan to follow
their usual policy in reducing the esti-
mates of the department heads by first
deciding on the total amount for the
entire budget and then making the cuts
judiciouSly after conferences with the
heads of the departments affected. In
the case of the Board of Education,
however, the Commissioners will return
its estimates and allow the school OFF,
Gals to make any revisions that may be
found necessary.
Approximately $4.5OO,00O will have to
be cut from the estimates OF the depart
ment heads to make the new budget
conform to the limitation of $48,500 900,
which the auditor has pointed out the
estimated available revenue in 1881 will
provide without a change in the tax
levy, and this will be done in a series
of special meetings of the Board of
Commissioners. The initial session to-
morrow will begin at $50 O'Clock. in
Dougherty, and it is likely that the en-
tire meeting will be devoted to review
of the appropriation requests OF the
various departments.
Advice to Be Lacking.
For the first time in many years. the
Commissioners will be forced to under
take the estimate pruning process with
out the advice and counsel of Mai.
m.h lie IN hnrpp
by illness. The auditors report on the
budget together with his five-year finan-
cial program, which treats rather COM
prehenSiVely' the prospective financial
condition of the District in the 1881
fiscal year, will be used by the Com
missionerS as guide until his return.
Where. the reductions are to be made
in the estimates of the department
heads to keep the budget within the
SAC, 500. 900 limitation suggested by Maj.
Donovan. is a question which the Con-
missioners are expected to reach before
the end of the week. BY following the
auditors formula this would be cont
paratively simple, as he has set forth
in his f1ve-year schedule the total sp-
preparations which could be auocated
the various departments and not exceed
$48, 5000
$13,725,OOO Asked for Schools.
The school estimates, the largest in
dividual group, call for $13 ,725, 900, and
Mai. Donovan, in his program, allocates
Sl2,72300 to the schools for the 1881
fiscal year. In the case of highway
improvement, however, the estimates
total $4.457 $50, whereas the auditors
program allows 81 GAS, 900 for this work.
The auditors ALLEGATION for the police
and fire departments also exceeds the
appropriations requested. The estimates
of these two departments amount to
$6.l55 1871. while the five-year program
allows 5000 900.
On the other hand, the health and
sanitation ALLEGATION in the f1ve-year
program is more than $l.500, 900 under
the appropriations requested.
Two of the outstanding projects to
be provided in the 1891 budget, it was
indicated. will be the complete acqui-
sition of the site for the municipal
center and completion of the construc-
ton of tive high-temperateure incin-
orators for the destruction of combus-
tible refuse.
Deficiency appropriations will be
sought at the regular session of Con-
gress in December TO purchase a por-
ton of the municipal center site and
to start construction of the incinerators.
The cost of the municipal center site is
estimated at $6,500,00 and the incin-
orators at $850,O00. For the municipal
center land, $3,OOO000 is to be recon-
mended for appropriation in the de-
ficiency bill, leaving $3,500,O00 to be
carried in the 1881 budget. or the
amount for the incinerators, $500 600
Is to be requested In the deficiency bill,
leaving $350000 to be provided in the
1881 budget.
DEMNu MIDITTEM MIII