Evening star., 1948-12-13
Cities Require
New Tax Sources
Association Told
Urban Group Hears
Los Angeles Head Cite
U. S., State Levy Grub

American cities need new sources
Of revenue to meet soaring munich
pal costs, Mayor Fletcher Bowron Of
Los Angeles told the American Mu-
nicipal Association today.
Cities, he declared before the
opening meeting of the association
at the Statler Hotel, are being
starved" for revenue by Federal
and State use of the sales tax and
other painless" collection measures.
"The local tax base must be
broadened through State and-or
Rehabilitation" he said, 'or the
other levels of government must be
willing to finance cities in other
ways.
ID. C. Problems Different.
Mayor Bowron spoke as associa-
ton president to about 500 mayors
and other city officials from Al
States. The association represents
$500 cities, but not the District Of
Columbia.
The three-day session, he pre-
dicted, could be "the mosG impor-
tant in the history of municipal
government in the country
Problems of the District govern
ment, a spokesman for the associa-
ton has pointed out. are somewhat
different from cities in the States,
since the District stands in some
thing of class by itself"
AS a municipality it is not in
cluded in the association, but this
fact, the spokesman said, "is the
fault of nobody in particular"
President Truman welcomed the
ANA in a statement yesterday de-
claring that national security de-
pends lin vital way" on municipal
support.
Initiation Is Primary Cause.
The Chief Executive voiced SYM
pathetic interest in the major prob
lem before the group-city f1nanc-
ing.
Imitation has been a primary
cause of the difficulty which many
municipalities now encounter in the
midst of prosperity, for municipal
revenues unfortunately have not in
creased proportionately with munici-
pal costs" the President said
municipalities, therefore, will be
profoundly interested in every sin
cere and intelligent effort to control
or restrict imitation -
Mr.. Truman observed that the
Federal Government and the States
share many problems with the cities,
including those of housing. trans
portation. highway maintenance and
civilian defense.
Lobbying Planned.
The gathering marks the associa-
tion's first attempt to unite cities on
a half-dozen major policies with the
frankly admitted aim Of lobbying for
them in Washington and: in State
capitols.
Finance tops the list of problems
which President Bowron named as
Crucial
Policies on housing improvement,
recognition for municipal employees,
civilian defense. and payment to the
cities in place of taxes on State
and Federal property within city
limits also are on the three-day
agenda.
Mayor Bowron said city officials
get more taxpayer complaints than
any other officials because they are
closer to the people" and because
most, If not all, of the hidden and
more or less painless taxes have
been pre-empted by the Federal and
State governments"
Rely on Property Tax.
Although cities receive a rela-
lively insignificant part Of the tax
dollar" he declared, municipal rev.
enue stands out like a sore thumb
because we still must rely largely on
property taxes.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles
Mayor said, cities are confronted
with a tremendous backlog of pub
lie works and school and other
construction which could not be
done during the depression for want
Of funds, and during the war for
lack of materials. The problem
now, he added. is lack of revenue
and high building costs.
At the afternoon session today,
the association planned to draw up
a housing policy. Delegates were
expected to indorse Federally aided
public housing and slum clearance.
as well as the retention of the war
housing units due for dismantling
at the end of next year.