Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09

" Tor a SIMPLE arithmetical rea-
have requested a total of $31.7
It only SIT million is expected to
be safely assumed changes will
be made again in the future as
the city's needs vary from year
to year and to meet increased
costs.
BY what system the budget
Office plans to arrive at its capt.
tai outlay recommendations has
not been revealed. Some likely
speculation may be offered. how
ever.
/. Schools. Fourteen major
building projects-aside from
permanent improvements to ex-
listing structures - have been
requested. Total cost would come
to nearly SIS million. Ostensibly,
with available revenues totaling
only SIT million for the entire
general fund, no single agency
would be allotted anything like
SIS million.
2. Health. More than $2.7 mil
lion is sought, but it is probable
that the Commissioners aides
will suggest going slow in grant,
ing the requests pending compile
ton this year of a $685. survey
of municipal health and hospital
needs.
3. Welfare. 50 million request
ed. and Corrections, 81 million
requested. Both of these agencies
have Jared reasonably well in
recent years in getting construc-
ton money. Each has been
granted funds for at least one
big item: Welfare's building ex-
pansion at the Children's Gen.
ter, Laurel, and the Corrections
Department Youth Corrections
Center on the Lorton reservation
For this reason, both conceivably
could be held of in fiscal 1858
while other departments starved
for new construction benefit.
In this connection, one city
official pointed out that the
budget Office tries to distribute
construction money equitably
over the years among all de-
partments to meet their more
serious needs.
RedevelOpment in Picture
Southwest redevelopment also
enters the budget allotment pic
ture. The Redevelopment Act
specifics that the District can
receive credit toward its share in
project costs by providing public
installations in the redevelop-
ment area. Among the 1858
budget requests all or part of
five Southwest Washington items
are listed and could be expected
to be retained by the budget
Office. They are:
/. Relocation Of the Fire De-
partment Repair Shop and En-
CINE Co. Z in the vicinity of First
and X streets S.W., a 1904, 900
item of a total department re-
quest Of $1.3 million.
2. Moving the dog pound from
the Southwest to the Northeast,
an $4,000 fund request.
8. Stormwater sewer construc-
ton in conjunction with the
overall rehabilitation of the
area, 100000.
4. Replacement Of one school
and additions to another in the
Southwest, $1.1 million.
S. Street lighting as streets
are rebuilt or realigned, an I'M
specified amount of a city-wide
budget estimate of $768,000.
An overall budget item that
may well. remain intact is the
SIS million requested for storm
water sewer construction in all
sections of the city. This is the
amount that Congress in author
izing the Public Works Program
designated to be spent annually
to alleviate stream pollution and
neigllborhood food problems.
Only Few Protests
Although the municipal budget
experts are inclined to finch
when they contemplate depart
ment protests against their
Forthcoming fund pruning. they
report only a few rumbles to date
over the operating expense
allotmentS.
The major reductions in the
requested increases were felt by
schools, recreation, health, well
fare, National Capital Parks and
vocational rehabilitation. These
cutbacks ranged from 100000 to
S2.7 million.
Here, the Office did not-as it
proposes to do in its capital out
lay ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS de-
letion of specific cost items. The
staff simply deducted a certain
number of those expenses felt to
be non-mandatory in order to
arrive at sums which in the
aggregate would be within avail
able revenues.
Officials emphasized that the
departments may still spend their
operating money as they deem
best, with the Commissioners
approval.
The overweaning consideration
/ is that the cost of combined
municipal operation does not ex-
coed anticipated revenues-a
message the harried budget office
has been trying to pound home
since the time Of Governor
Shepherd.