Evening star., 1955-09-18
Budget Office
For D. c. Lists
1857 Requests
Agencies Seeking
$50 Million for
Capitol Outlay

Capitol Outlay
In a new forewarning Of heavy
District tax increases. the city
Budget Office yesterday released
an analysis Of departmental
spending requests for the next
fiscal year.
The breakdown showed that,
In asking to spend $2l3 million
during fiscal 1857. the various
city agencies want to hire l.T90|
more workers and spend $56 mill
lion for construction--$13.6 mill
lion more than proposed under
the Districts public works pro-
gram. The District Commission
ers begin q week of hearings
on the requests with department.
heads tomorrow.
The Budget Once also revealed
that salary increases for District
workers approved by the last
lsession Of Congress viii cost the
city .242.175--most Of which
1t does not have--above the ap-
proved budget for the current
year.
Sum Needed by June 80
District ofilcials pointed out
that this must be Offset by in-|
creased reyenue--new taxes and
an increased Federal payment
before next June 80, when the
current fiscal year ends.
One possibility for increasing
municipal income was raised
last night by Samuel Spencer,
president Of the Board Of Com
lmissioners.
Mr.. Spencer said he feels that
the personal exemption on In
come taxes here may be lowered
10 possible $4,000 from the pres
Ient $4,000 exemption.
The new figures would be more
lin line with personal income tax
structures in other States, heI
Explained.
Engi er Commissioned
Thomas A. Lane yesterday pre-
dicted he and his fellow Conn
|missioners would give formal ap-l
proval In a day or so to q COM
|plete time table for submittingi
the budget the tax program
to finance ito the public and
to Congress.
The time table. already tenta-
lively approved by the city heads
proposes that the Commissioners
make public the total budget fig-l
ure they approve for next year
on October IA. 10 days after a
public budget hearing. The total
figure would be the basis for an
other public hearing late In oc-
tober on means to provide ad-l
ditional revenues"
The time table calls for the re-
lease within the next two weeks
OF a complete digest OF District
taxes and how much they pro-
duce along with a comparison
with Maryland and Virginia
taxes. Also to- be released atl
this time would be q list Of "va-
'rious feasible increases or other
changes In the tax structure"
upon which public witnesses
would be asked to comment at
the revenue hearing late in
october.
Major Problem Left
Thetime table also indicates
the Commissioners still must |
settle one major operational
problem with the Federal Budget
Bureau-whether the budget for
fiscal 1857 should be sent to Con-
gress In one piece, coupled with
proposed legislation to finance it,
or whether part Of the budget
should be withheld until the
revenue increases are approved
by Congress.
The time table recommends
that an attempt be made to get
the House and Senate District
Committees started on joint
hearings on the new revenue
program early in January.
The total requested budget for
1857 is $212,915,275--$43.4 mil
lion higher than presently au-
thorized spending for the current
year. The Commissioners ,in- |,
doubtedly will pare this con-
siderably and then must ask for
tax increases to cover what is
left of the boost. Il
Total proposed capital outlay
spending for construction and
land purchase was $56.190.553. 4
Capital Outlay Breakdown
OF this. $9,178,s00 was for
schools; 1895, 900 was for libra
ries; $4,000 for police; $1,034.-
900 for the Fire Department;
See BUDGET, Page A-5l