The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-07-15
City Tax Rate Cut
Despite $A,953.63
Budget Increase

Budget Increase
tContinued from Page u
evening Of the taxpayers hearing
July %.
Utilities Repay Paving Jump
IN submitting his figures, Auditor
Atkinson explained some of the in-
creases. The increase In the paving
maintenance fund, for instance, is
due to the extensive cutting of the
streets by public utilities such as the
gas company. While the city bears
the expense of restoring the streets
at the outset, all such expense will
be reimbursed by the utilities when
the work is completed. Further
more, while the increase is made on
paper, no taxes need actually be levied
on these items, the appropriation be-
ing made merely as matter of Civ
ing authority for the expenditures.
In effect the increase is a fiction as
far as the city treasury Is concerned.
One increase that will stick, how
ever, Is the item for poor relief. which
is raised from $11,660.26 to $4,000.
Economic conditions make It appar-
ent that this increase Is Justified .
was the. auditors comment.
Financing Community Building
There also Is an increase. more ap.
parent than real, In the fire depart.
ment, In which the truck and equip
ment fund Is taken care of In reality
without the necessity OF levying taxes
by the 2 per cent of fire insurance
premiums paid over to the city BY the
state. So this increase also amounts
to nothing. =.
Auditor Atkinson covered the mat
ter of the community building by
stating that it was difficult to esti-
mate what the cost of maintaining
this building will be. However, in
fairness to the taxpayers Of Burleigh
county-which has appropriated 5000
towards its maintenance-and to the
city Of Bismarck, charges for It's use
should be made on the persons or
organizations using 1t, and I have
estimated miscellaneous collections as
$4,000 from such use. Charges of this
nature are recommended by leading
municipal authorities. The theory Is
that, after the taxpayers have made
the capital investment, the persons
using the building should pay for its
maintenance. In order to avoid fl
nancial difficulties the cost of MAIN
tanning this World war memorial
building must be financed in this
way"
Net Levy Increase $3.50
Going into the total Of the levy for
the year, the auditor said the pro-
posed levies for running expenses
amount to SIP, 000, the maximum levy
permissible under an estimated as
sessed valuation of So, b 900. Levies
for bond interest and sinking fund
purposes and for deficits in and for
the city's share of special improve
ment funds amount to $50, 900, max
ing a total Of $145, 900.
1T will be noted" said the audi
tors report, that this is an increase
for running expenses over the levies
of 1928, Of $1,000, and q decrease for
debt retirement purposes, OF $3.50, or
a net increase of $3.50.
"The decrease in the levieS for debt
retirement purposes is made possible
by the good condition Of these funds.
1t is proposed to take care of the def
icit in the water main special as
sessment fund out of the earnings Of
the waterworks department.
1.-THE proposed levy Of $145 900 will
be a mill levy of 1923 or OF $18.l2A
per s. 1000 of assessed valuation-as.
Stunning an assessed valuation Of
$4,000, 0OO-as against a mill levy Of
1888 or 1855 per each $1,000 of as
assessed valuation-in the levy Of
1925"
Chief Items of Two Budgets
Figures in the various items of the
budget appropriations, as compared
With last year, are:
General government, $2l,37o.sl In
1929; $l9,07O in 1890.
Protection of personal property,
$50, $50. 90 last year: @40,35O this year
in which is included: police depart
ment, $12,274.16 against $l2,250 this
year; fire department, 418,682.63
against $500 this year.
Conservation of health, In which are
included the health officer, deten-
ton hospital, laboratory and milk and
dairy control. @4,258.77, last year,
$500 this year, the increase being
due to dairy inspection.
Sanitation and highways, exclusive
Of street lighting, $50, 856.69 last year.
$37, 100 this year, the increase being
paid mostly by utilities making recon-
pense for the repair Of streets.
Street lighting. $10,776.74 last year,
$3.50 this year, due to q new contract
based on lower rates.
Poor relief, $l1, es0.26 last year.
$4,000 this year.
Public library, $685. last year,
1850 this year.
Recreation, $65S7.1e last year, &22,-
O20 this year, due to the addition of
SIS, 900 for upkeep Of the community
building, items included being $500
FOR the swimming pool. against ST.
317.13 last year; auditorium, $3,849.ed
last year. $4,100. this year: tourist
camp, $420 each year.
Public service enterprises, city
scales, $500 this year, against 81
O5l.lo last year, and $1,750 for the
airport, against $1,302.86 last year.
Miscellaneous, $500 this year.
against $4,16l.o4 last year.
Spent S4oS, sso.Ss Last Year
Collections last year included gen.
eral taxes, $137,137.61; special as
sessiments. &12S,2l2.69; payments IN
full of special assessments, $13,525.18;
penalties and interest on delinquent
taxes, 45,132.24; subvef1tions received
In payments from higher tax districts,
as Burleieh county aid to the poor Of
the city, the percentage Of pool hall
licenses received from the attorney
generals department and the two PET
cent fire insurance premiums. $9,e37.-
68; interest on bank deposits. $2,316,-
50; issuance Of securities, mainly the
community building bonds, $ll9,153.s
"A. A~n<A~$ioo ha~olkn1 raan3e%s AAQa.