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Show CITY TAX LEVY AND IMPROVEMENTS. It seems to be Inevitable that the rate of the city tax levy must bo Increased this year over last, and this in spite of the increase in valuations. The rate last year was 9 mills, and the rate this year is by the different municipal officials offi-cials put all the way from 10 mills to 11 .mills. ' Probably 10 mills will be found to be sufllclent when matters are falrly adjusted, an Increase which will not' be much felt. i - ,, InL the change of taxation, Improvements Improve-ments in the water distribution ser-. vice are recommended, from lv mills, to 2 mills, a considerable item In the expected additional cost being to provide pro-vide a new main oh Brigham street In connection with the improvement of that street. We should like to see that Improvement pushed, and the necessary neces-sary work in connection .with It done, even if some other desirable improve-t improve-t ments hnve to.be postponed. That Is an improvement which would be a striking strik-ing addition to the beauty of the city, and no unnecessary delay should be had In making It. The sewer tax of one-tenth of a mill, which was objected to, Is In fact probably prob-ably sufllclent for the present, and we do not think It good policy to cut the free public library tax In tho lenst. It is rather scant as It is, and to cut It would necessitate such economies as would practically paralyze the use of the library. This Is now a great resort re-sort and convenience to the public, and should be kept up In efficient utility. The tax of 3 mllsl for streets and sidewalks, with the added valuation In the assessment rolls, will probably be plenty. Brjgham street Is to bo paved, of course: we all agree to that, and It should be done without delay now that the plans for l(, after euch long delay, have been agreed upon. It Is, also, desirable de-sirable to connect the paving of State street with the macadamized road to Murray; but It is by no mijans Imperative Impera-tive to do this the present year, if the work would cramp the finances or necessitate ne-cessitate an increase in .the rale of taxation. tax-ation. The same may be sahl of the paving of Third Soutli street, westward from West Temple, or least the most westeiv Iy portion of the proposed paying, say from Second West onward. The surface sur-face down there Is low, nnd It is a little uncertain at present what the railroads Intend to do, so far as immediate work and results aro concerned. When the levels and grades are all fixed", and the necessity for paving to connect with warehouses, freight depots, etc., is seen, then the paving must come, as a matter mat-ter of course: but until that Is established, estab-lished, and as long as the uncertainty is continued. It would be as well to go slow, especially west of Second AVest street. It should be remembered, too, that the cost of the paving for the south half of the street, the whole length of tho block, besides the streets at each side, will have to be met by the city, if the paving Is pushed beyond Second West. Besides the filling required west of Third West street, approximately two feet, the uncertain railroad conditions condi-tions render caution desirable. The Rio Grande Western will, it is understood, erect its new depot upon Third South, but no actual work has been done upon It yet. When It is approaching completion, com-pletion, it will not take long to push the paving along to it. The Oregon Short Line, in order to cut off the rise between Third South and First South street, contemplates cutting into block 02 at Third Soutli, and running its tracks diagonally across the block, northwest, to connect with the tracks of the union depot. All this will make distrubanccs of the present levels, and until all Is settled, the paving from Second West may well be deferred rather than add to the raise In the tax rate. We believe that by eliminating all around the ndn-essentlals. and putting the municipal affairs on a strictly business busi-ness basis, the raise In the levy need not be greater than to 10 mills, and that with this rate a great deal of Improvement Improve-ment work can well be done. |
