Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-16
Boost in DC. Taxes Urged
By Women Voters League
Citizen S Council
Advice Opposed
BY Mrs. Monroe
81 HECTOR MCLEAN


Of Women Voters to increase the
Tow level Of municipal services"
IN the Nations Capital.
Opposing recommendation BY
the Citizens. Advisory Council TO
hold the line in District spend-
inr. Mrs. Henry Munroe. presi-
dent Of the leagues local unit.
declared
we must lace the fact that
II Ne want good school. highway.
newer. welfare and other services.
We must be willing to foot the
bill. II Ne want our city TO-
grow ana prosper. We win newt
ably have to pay for these higher
standards. Her statement came
only two weeks before . public
hearing On some $40 million In
tax boosts October %.
she charged that contrary to
widespread belief among our cit
liens, taxes paid By washington
residents are low in comparison
with those paid by people IN
other large United States cities.
u I'VE point out this fact be-
cause 81 1tatelnents such IS
those made ON October II In 4
Citisens' Advisory Council re-
port.
Ignores Past increases
ignoring local tax increases Of
more than sl2 million which
went into effect over . year ago.
she charged:
IN 1854. Washingtonians paid
$iss.4s per capita in local taxes.
ranking 18th Of Is cities having
populations Of 100000 to ] nii1-
Hon. Total per capita city State
taxes In these other cities ranged
from $i36.ss In St Louis to
$2lo.35 in San Francisco, with
the people Of seven cities paying
over $50 annually"
3 q u n
she also called for an increase
In the Federal Governments an
rual payment toward the cost Of
operating the National Capital.
declaring:
Eve also must recognize the
need for increased Federal pay
ments to the District. The basis
for this payment Is the large
amount Of tax-exempt property
CFederal, diplomatic. etc.). nu-
nicipal services TO these proper
ties, and the special requirements
imposed on Washington as the
Capital City"
Cites 81 Million Cut
Although an act Of Congress
now authorizes q Federal pay
ment Of $40 million q year. Con-
gress this spring cut the payment
TO si8 million 81 million re-
duction which city officials hope
to have restored early next year
to Offset an expected deficit Of
more than So million In the Disc
trict's General Fund bank
account, which finances all city
operations other than those for
highways, sanitary sewers. water
and motor vehicle parking.
The balance. presumably. win
be made up il new taxes. which
also must finance . S. million
drop In District income next
year caused By anal wiping out
Of the SURPRISES which the city
has been accustomed to carry
over from one Judiciary period
TO another, plus additions
spending TO STAN new District
institutions.
Mrs. Munroe's staten en- t
charged that Washington ranked
nth out Of Is cities in municipal
expenditures in 1854. The Dis
trict. she said. spent $i69.87 per
capita, compared with $250.27
In Boston and over $500 in four
other cities. It Is apparent that
3 low level Of municipal services
Il the inevitable result Of low
revenue,
III Washington Is to provide
Its citizens with services worthy
Of the Nations Capital. our
citizens win have TO carry a
revenue burden comparable to
that Of other large cities"
Her listing Of the Districts
per capita revenue burden. how
ever, failed to take account Of
new taxes here which went into
effect in August Of 1854.
Census Figures Noted
Backing UP her argument that
District taxes are too low, Mrs.
Munroe used figures from the
Census Bureau for 1854. These
showed the Districts per capita
tax ttotal tax revenue divided by
the city's population as $139. 43.
Last May. however. District Of
ficials put out q statement Of the
Districts per capita tax burden
showing last years boosts had
raised the tax load here to
4l5i.i9, without counting the
Federal payment. They stressed
that comparable industry pay
ments In other jurisdictions
would be reflected. in per capita
tax figures.
District officials, commenting
on Mrs. Munroe's call for higher
taxes, also pointed out that the
city seeks to keep It's taxes COM
parable to those In the sur
rounding Maryland and Virginia
suburbs to avoid driving its tax
payers over the District line.
Meanwhile. the District
Commissioners were expecting "a
make final decisions this week on
how much they win ask Congress
to let them spend In the coming
fiscal year. which begins next
July 1.
District department heads
have asked to spend a record