Evening star., 1933-09-03
|%3,0D0,ODO BUDGET.
REQUEST IS SEEN
Preliminary Figures May Ex'
ceed Present Operating
Sum by s10,000,000.
Continued From First Page.)

RG.J
passing on the recommendations OF their
subordinates and assistants.
1t is not surprising nor remarkable
that the needs Of the city for next
year, as viewed by the ofiicials In charge
Of each activity, should reach total
greater by more than sl0,00o,0o0 over
the current appropriation total, when
it is recalled what a drastic cut below
essential requirements was made in
| holding the current appropriations
| down to $33,000,000 in round numbers.
Many Revisions Expected.
Judging from the experience Of the
past, these original figures Of the de-
partment chiefs will undergo many and
varied changes before the budget, as
a whole, is finally polished on and pre-
Almost invariably the total which
finally goes to Capitol Hill at the OPEN
ing of session is considerably less
than the aggregate amount requested
| by the department heads in Midsum-
mer. This occurs. not so much because
| the division chiefs ask for unneces-
sary projects. but because the Commis-
| sioners must weigh the requests OF
| each agency in the light of the total
| amount they have to allocate.
1t occurs also because more often
! than not in the past the Budget Bu-
| reau has fixed total limitation under
| the amounts deemed necessary both by
the department heads and the Commits
sioners. Whether history will repeat
itself this year remains to be seen when
tIn DID y,eft tntt tn kNn
Commissioners become known.
Current Total Cut Twice.
In comparing the current appropria-
tions for approximately S33 0000 with
| the reported new estimates by depart
ment heads of more than 43,000,0 900 it
| must be remembered that the current
appropriation act went through the
sawmill twice. At the opening of the
last session of Congress in December,
| 1882. a District budget Of about $40
1868 900 was submitted to Congress for
the current year. After the bill had
passed both House and Senate with diff
| ferent totals. the conferees finally came
| to an agreement on s39, ,239l47 In
! the closing hours of that Congress on
March 4. howevaT the conference re-
| port failed of approval in the House
| which caused the bill to die When the
| new Congress met shortly thereafter
! the Federal economy drive was at its
| height. and the Budget Bureau in re-
submitting the District appropriation
! bill for the current year. slashed its
! total down to the new low level OF about
| S23 600 600
. Starting Tuesday afternoon the Com
! missioners' Economy Committee. pre-
! sided over by Auditor Donovan. will be
in, f1r IN,
over the 1885 estimates with depart
ment heads and listening to the iustif-
cations submitted in support of each
item. The other members of the Econ
omy Committee are Capt. H. c. White
hurst. Daniel E. Garges. Stephen z
| Kramer. William P Richards. George
S. Wilson, j. B. Gordon and W. A
Roberts
! Drastic Economies Asked.
In drafting the original estimates the
department heads had before them in
| structions Ito keep their estimates to
the lowest possible amount consistent
with effective public service. Where
1t can be done, operating expenses
! should be reduced rather than in
creased. recommendations for appro-
| priations for improvements should be
limited to urgent necessities"
One of the results of the reduction
in District appropriations for the pres
ent year was cut in the tax rate for
this fiscal year from sl7o to s150 per
sl00 of assessed value of real estate and
tangible personal property. and taxpay-
ers this month are paying their first
| installments Of current tax bills at the
new rate.
In this connection there became
available at the District Building yes
terday the final. complete figure on
the totsl assessed value of taxable prop
erty in the District for this fiscal year,
namely, sl.150,820, ,306 This is the ag-
sresate value of both land and build
ings. and is a reduction of S78.539. .260
| below the assessed value for the fiscal
| year 1893, which was S1,229 .359 566
| This change in the assessment total. as
| now actually ascertalned. is substantially
what the auditor and assessor estimated
it would be several months ago.
Realty Levy sl7.262. 900.
| On this new assessment total. the new
sl.50 rate will produce a real estate tax
! levy of approximately Sl7,262 ,0o0. as
| compared with levy Of approximate
S20, 800 00G for last year on the sl7C
rate Congress gave the Commissioners
authority to change the tax rate this
year, after it became apparent the old
rate would have required District tax
payers to raise far more money than
would be needed to meet the drastically
reduced appropriation bill for this fiscal
year.
OF the approximately s7S.50o,OO0 re-
| duction in the assessment base. about
! two-thirds Or S50,000,000 was in the
northwest section, below Florida avenue
| where acco~dinp TO the assessors office
the trend of the relationship between
assessed values and actual sales justified
a scaling down of the assessments This
was done mostly on ground values
| The aim of the Economy Committee
in taking up the budget estimates for
| 1885 Tuesday will be to complete the
review of the department heads figures
in one week The estimates are to go
| to the Budget Bureau by September IS.