Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-29
D. c. GOVERNMENT
COST MOUNTS TO
SO PER CITIZEN
City Corporation Summary
Shows SIS Increase in
Fiscal Year.
REVENUES $45,308, 280,
EXPENSES S40,925,537
Increased Payments on Account
of Relief Projects and Relief Off,
set by $685. 300 Grant.

The cost Of operating the general
departments of the District govern
ment increased nearly IS per capita
to total Of nearly $40 during the
fiscal year which ended June 30
1884, according to summary of the
financial statistics of the city corpora
ton of Washington made public to-
day by the Census Bureau.
Based on an estimated population
of 495, 900 as of July l. 1888, the cost
of maintaining and operating the gen.
eral departments of the District gov
eminent amounted to S69.55 per per-
son, as compared with a per capita
cost of S6482 for the fiscal year 1885
and a cost Of only s25.43 for 1918
S5,s23, 800 Federal Grant.
Increased payments on account OF
relief projects and direct relief dur
ing the 1884 fiscal year covered ir
today's report were offset partially by
q Federal grant of S5,823, 900, the
summary shows.
Payments for operation and main
tenance Of public service enterprises
such as waterworks, markets and
cemeteries, amounted to 1902 los dur
ing 1884, while OUTLAWS for permanent
Improvements, including those fol
public service enterprises, vas S.
500 ,591. Total payments for all ex-
penses of local government during the
year, including interest, amounted tc
$40, s25,537, according to the sum-
mary
Total revenue receipts during the
fiscal year 1884 amounted to s45.-
800, $50, or s91.53 per capita.
This was s9,981,334 more thar
the total payments of the year, ex.
elusive of the payments for perman.
ent improvements, and $4.382, IA;
more than the total payments. in.
Guiding those for permanent improve.
ments," the Census Bureau reported
This excess of revenue receipts is re.
f1ected in purchase Of investment,
and increased cash balances, moi
shown in this summary"
Property taxes Represented 483 pc
cent Of the total revenue for 1894, a
compared with sos per cent for 1913:
and 428 per cent for 1918. The In
crease In the amount of property take
collected was 1895 per cent from 1911
to 1884, but there was a decrease O.
63 per cent from 1888 to 1894, it wa!
shown.
Property Tax Average.
The average Washingtonian contrib
uted S44.20 in property taxes in 1884
$47.29 in 1888, and but $1818 in 1918
Receipts collected from public serv
ice corporations, banks. and trust com
panies, amounting in 1884 to 81 ,639, 753
are not included in the amounts OF
which these per capitas and percent
ages are based" the bureau explained
such taxes being based upon a per
centage of earnings are included IN
der the heading of business taxes. no
shown separately in this summary"
Earnings of the public service enter
prises operated by the local city gov
eminent in 1884 represent Al per cen
of the total revenue during that yeal
as against 4.6 per cent for 1888 ant
"A per cent for 1918.
The total funded or fixed debt o
the District of Columbia outstanding
June 30, 1884, was only $l02,900, tn
report shows There was no net deb
for Washington on that date, tn
amount Of assets in the sinking fun,
exceeding the funded debt. The sam
condition existed in 1888, but in 191
there was a per capita net debt o
$40.
The assessed valuation of propert
in Washington subject to ad valoren
taxes for support of the city corpora
ton was $1,s68, 453,944 the summar
reveals. The levy for all purpose
was $40, s22, 494, or $4227 per capita
all for the city corporation. The pc
capita tax levy was s4s.20 in 1888 ant
$3.50 in 1918.