Evening star., 1946-05-06
|0'Mahoney Unit
Votes 79.Mi||ion
District Budget
Determined Fight
To Double Federal
Lump Sum Planned
By Don 5. Worren

A determined fight for legisla-
ton which would virtually dou-
BILE the S6,OOO,O00 lump sum
Federal payment toward District
expenses was planned today by
the O'Mahoney subcommittee of
the Senate when it approved an
outlay of S79, 9,622,962 by the Dis
trict in the year beginning
July l..
The total recommended by the
District subcommittee of the Sen
ate Appropriations Committee would
add more than s7,O00,000 to the total
approved by the House, but Sen
ator O'Mahoney, Democrat, Of
Wyoming, noted the total still would
be 1882 900 under the estimate sub
mltted in January by the Com
missioners
Even with the heavy increase pro-
posed over the House total. he added,
the Senate subcommittee is leaving
to the future, because of the revenue
situation, many projects and serv-
ices which are deemed highly de-
Sirable"
Fixed Formula Proposed.
In a final executive session today,
the O'Mahoney subcommittee voted
to recommend to the full Appropria-
tlons Committee the proposed legis-
lation which would adjust the size
OF the annual Federal payment in
keeping with fixed formula. based
! generally on the ratio of tax ex-
empt Federal land holdings here to
the Districts total land area.
! Under the operation of the
| formula, this would amount to l9
per cent and would be applied to the
total revenues of the District for
the year preceding that for which
the size of the Federal payment was
measured. 1t is calculated that for
next years budget this would
amount to s1l l,l79.O00 The $4,000 900
Federal payment now amounts to
about 9 per cent of total outlays.
/ Pending action on the proposed
formula legislation. the OMahoney
subcommittee is proposing the Fed
eral payment be raised to $4,000, 900.
Continues Overton Fight.
! Senator O'Mahoney said he antici-
pated strong support for the fixed
formula plan from Senator Overton,
Democrat, of Louisiana. who was the
author Of similar legislation several
years ago. The step taken by his
subcommittee. Chairman OMahonev
said, is a continuation of the Over
ton fight for larger Federal pay
ment
1t was on the motion of Senator
Overton, in the full Senate Appro-
prlatlons Committee, the Wyoming
Senator recalled, that the subcom-
mlttee was directed more than
year ago to make the detailed study
which now has resulted in the for.
NAL recommendation.
One change has been written into
! the fixed formula bill. This would
provide that the increased Federal
payment be distributed pro rata
among the general fund. the high
way and water funds. The Federal
payment now is used for general
fund purposes.
Payroll Costs Higher.
Chairman OMahoney said full
details of the 1947 supply bill were
oelng withheld to await adoption
by the full committee, but he noted
that the near S8O,0O0,0OO outlay
proposed would exceed this years
appropriations by only S6,242.2e7.
In this calculation the 1916 appro-
prlations include the near 100000
which had to be appropriated ,re-
Gently to meet the costs of last
years pay raise as applied to
municipal employees.
In fact, Senator O'Mahoney COM
mented, much of the increase pro-
!