The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1940-05-31
ECORSE HAS
UNENV|ABLE
TAX RECORD

The village of Ecor>e Citizens Tax
| payers League has just issued Il mini
geographical study of taxation in Ameri-
cas- largest village
The investigation, il should be stat
ed. WAS made in cooperation with the
present village officials
The report shows these alarming
facts:
The annual village government costs
over half million dollars (pUpula-
ton 1J.OOOD. far more than in .rImpar-
able communities. Yet the village has
II debt Of %3.SOI. :ISJ77-or $2J3 for
every man. woman and child in the
community
Says the League. under The heading
DO You Know
| DO you know rhat the village operat-
| ing cost Increased 81 per cent in the
last four years:
DO you know that the budget for
the year 1920 exceeds last years
expenditures by $l02.6;}S:
DO you know that the budget for
operating the village il more than three
times the budget for MI Clemens even
though Mt. Clemens population is Is
timated 10 be larger:
Do you know that your operating
cost per capita is $2273 as compared
with the average cost per capita of
$12&l in seven other places in Michi-
gan of about the same size:
DO you know that refunds of federal
excise taxes on PURCHASES of gasoline.
automobiles, etc. To which the village
l. entitled have not been claimed for
years, but the village can recover about
loo 10y making Il claim for it:
DO You know that debt service
amounts 10 - per cent of this years
budget:
Do YOU know that insufficient re-
cords are kept la verify such items as
truck hire:
DO You know that firemen and POI
litemen are paid per year s.. 165. so
and the pension is worth $691 80 per
year in addition. 80 that these en-
plOyes are receiving the equivalent Of
S2.SI1.G0 per year:
Do you know that the village has
been financing deficits by collecting
| taxes in advance in increasing amounts
until 1898 when the advance cOllec-
tiOnS reached the height Of $17J,S2O?
DO you know that receipts and ex-
penditureS Of the water depa rtment
are not included the village budget:
DO You know that the village pays
higher prices for its supplies than you
would have TO pay:
Comparing Ecor>e with only towns
of approximately the same population.
! the report shows an operating cost
per capita tax of $22.T3. while
Holland has one nf $1I; Marquette.
S19. 40; MuSkegon Heights. 1913: Ben
ton HarbOr. S1l.22 Owo>So. S1O.12:
Adrian. $12.31. and Mt Clemens. 81 .O6.
The average annual operating cost
named is $12.3I, against EcorSeS S22.-
73
Administrative expense in EcorSe is
$3O.1:lI in adjoining River Rouge.
S23.414. and in MuSkegOn Heights.
$50 30.
The police department OF Ecorse
costs more than l23 per cent Of that
of River Rouge. and ~ per cent IF
that Of MuSkegon Heights. both of
which towns have larger population
than E'OrSe.
The EOrSe fife department costs
nearly double that ~ River Rouge.
and more than three times that of
Muskegon Heights.
EOrSe. with population less than
half that Of Wyandotte. pays S7231O
% sustain It's police department. while
this city pays but $101 Az.
Practically the same percentage
marks the cost IF the villages fire de-
rartment. SG6.1OO. against Wyandottc'S
NS2. 93S.
The pension fund for police and
| fircmen is inSolvpnt in E.or>e. due To
| the failure nf the village To set aside
Il sufficient amount each year To build.
| the meet >Sary resources. The fund has.
- present deficit Of $43S .431. and to
meet future requirements would neces-
state an Increase in the total village
tax levy of more than ~ per cent.
There i much more information in
the report. all going To show that Off
Gals for the past rem years have been
very liberal in making expenditures.
without much regard To- where the
! money was coming from to pay them. /