The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-28

Representatives of the Indianap-
oils Chamber of Commerce and
Harry Miesse, Indiana Taxpayers
Association secretary, will attend
the civil city meeting. and Mr..
Miesse will make a plea for a
further cut of 81 cents in the
school city budget.
The bureau of governmental re-
search of the chamber, although
patting the city administration on
the back for its financing in the
last year, will seek to have the civil
city tax rate cut to around S1.16,
from its last years figure of Sl.3l.
The civil city budget as studied
last night at meeting of the city
council in the city controllers Of
Officials Defend Rates
School board members will con-
slider the possibility of reducing the
school city budget to figure below
the 81 cents fixed in the proposed
1885 budget. Last years tax rate
was 80 cents.
1t is the opinion of both the
school city and civil city officials
that the tax rates of 81 cents and
S1.18, as fixed in both the proposed
1885 budgets, should be kept and
that further slicing would be HARM
full due to rising costs of commodi-
ties and fuel.
The only controversy at last
nights meeting of the council came
when Fred c. Gardner, Repub-
lican member, demanded to know
why item after item" in the 1885
budget is Identical with the 1884
figures.
why don't you bring budget
down so fellow can understand 1t, :"
pressed Mr.. Gardner, as he showed
the councilmen a comparative bud
get which he had prepared through
balancing figures in the 1884 budet
against the 1885 proposed financing
of the city.
Three Methods Offered
Evans Woollen Jr., city controller,
and Mayor Reginald H. Sullivan
then explained certain items" ques-
toned by Mr.. Gardner and pointed
out that although the city budget
showed only an approximately $780,
900 reduction in operating expenses
under last year, thatsin actuslity the
budget had been reduced $257 Zoo.
In the Chamber of Commences
summary of the city budget it rec
commended:
l. Greater use of balances in the
city general fund and park depart
ment to finance next years budgets,
in the amount of at least $4,000.
@ Actual budget reductions in the
city general fund of $4,000 or more.
C. of C. Praises Officials
8. Further use of the gasoline tax
income to finance street mainte-
nance costs.
These three methods" says the
Chambers summary, should make
it possible for further reduction
of the city tax levy of several cents"
Praising the unexpended balance
of $4,000 in the general fund of
the city at the end of 1885, the
Chamber said:
ITO change the position of the
main operating fund of the civil city
from one of huge annual deficits to
substantial balance is extraordi-
nary, especially in times of unusual
business depression"
Part of the reason for it is the
new revenues coming into the fund
from intangibles and exicse taxes,
and an additional reason is the
exercise of control over expenditures
by the city controller, with monthly
allotments for each department and
requiring the department to live
within the allotmentS."
Deficits Are Wiped Out
The chamber pointed out that the
department of public health was the
only division that did not live within
its allotment, but said that next
year it was thought that the depart
ment could be kept within it's budget.
The largest budget cut recon-
mended by the chambers report is
$4,000 from the mayors contingent
fund. The operating balance in the
general fund that can be used in
the esnuing year was pointed out
as providing means of eliminating
this figure.
THE taxpayers of this community
have every reason for pride on ac-
count of the improvement that has