Evening star., 1935-11-30
TAX COMMITTEE
ASKS PUBLIC HELP
IN SETTING LEV|ES
Increase to Provide Perma.
nent improvements Seen
Needed Here.
COMMISSIONERS AID
ALSO SOUGHT IN REPORT
Present Low Level Of Funds
Available for Capital Work
Cited by Surveyors.

The Districts Special Tax Commit
tee today asked the Commissioners
and the public to decide how much
taxes should be boosted to meet what
shall be determined to be the desired
amount Of the program of permanent
Improvements annually for the next
10 years.
In partial report to the Commits
sioners. released at noon today, the
committee outlined the trends of riS-
ing maintenance cost and the present
low level of funds available for Capital
improvements. such as schools, liz
brarieS and hospitals, and indicated
the need of a considerable increase
in revenues.
1t showed an outline Of expected
permanent improvement needs calls
for a calculated average of between
S7,500,OO0 and $500 900 per year for
the next decade, whereas the current
appropriation allows only 5000
for Capital outlay.
Would Determine Policy.
The committee, however, told the
Commissioners the question Of how
much should be allowed annually for
such expenditures was "a matter OF
policy" which should be determined
before any suggestions we're presented
by the committee as to new tax
program.
The group recommended that the
report be made public and that citi-
zens generally and responsible Or
ganiZationS in particular be requested
TO give the Commissioners their sug-
gestions on these two questions:
What are the future necessities OF
the District as to maintenance and
operating expenses?
What are the future necessities Of
the District as to capital outlay?"
The committee also recommended
that a public hearing be held at an
early date. The committee said IL
would then be in order for 1t to con-
slider tax program to raise the rev.
enue required.
Gauge for Revenues.
The committee revealed It had
started on on this premise, that the
propriety of any tax must be meas.
ured by its necessity.
Your committee does not believe
that taxes should be increased, either
by increasing the rates of the present
taxes or by the introduction of new
forms of tax, merely because the sug-
gested taxes could be borne by the tax
payers, or because the government
could spend the money If 1t had it,
The committee then gave a digest
Of its findings as to trends in 1nances
during the past IS years. 1t also se-
lected q period Of 10 wears for the
future for which to gauge expected
increased needed revenues.
Historical data showed that MAIN
tenance and operating expenses have
increased at the rate Of SO per cent
per year in the past 16 years from
some $l7.300000 in 1920 to approx
mately $35, 100000 for the fiscal year
1886, or a total increase for the Is
years of about $18,200,00o. In other
words, the committee found that II all
other items of expense, except schools.
welfare, police and fire, continued
to increase at the same rate as they
have in the past 16 years the in
crease would amount to $500, 900 per
year.
School Increases Cited.
The committee set out schools, vel.
fare, police and fire as the major items
and said any attempt to hold MAIN
tenance and operating costs to their
present levels means to hold the cost
of these departments to their present
sums.
To Offset any suggestion in this
direction. the committee pointedly
stated the total enrolment in schools
had increased about so per cent in
Is years.
AS to welfare cost, the committee
said that while the cost of emergency
relief may decrease, no one can tell
TO what extent permanent problem
of relief will remain" .--
The committee also pointedly listed
the fact District department heads
had proposed for the 1887 fiscal year
budget capital improvement pro-
gram to cost $11, 100000, whereas the
sum appropriated for the present year
was less than half of that.