| Show SALT LAKE CITY TAX the council decides tho aate cannot te lowered sn a ESTIMATED disbursements t hey a deficit may occure of eighteen thousand dollars the SALT LAKE sept in the cita council last night the committee on ways and meana reported on the petition of the citizens askine that the rate of tax be reduced it is as follows SALT LAKE CITY sept 9 1890 to the mayor and city bouncil ol 01 salt lake city utah the undersigner undersigned under signed the committee on ways and means to whom the petition for a reduction of the rate of city taxation was referred respectfully report that in the opinion of the committee the prayer of said petition cannot be granted or the rate reduced below 4 mills and provide a sufficient revenue to meet the current expenses of the city we are unable to state accurately the amount the city will require for ita current expenses in 1891 but an estimate of the expenses for the next year based on the average expense of those months during which the present council has administered the affairs of he city and with a view to what has been done and what should bo done hereafter will give an approximate the amount required the estimated total receipts for the year 1891 are as follows city tax 4 mills on licenses tax etc water rates fines police court cemetery poll tax rent account 1500 dog tax 2000 engineering department total ESTIMATED power etc for sewers 2500 street supervisors department jordan and salt lake canal fire dept including salaries liberty park improvements street lighting cemetery Water mastera department engineering department health department prison Ex oense claims and damage washington square police dept including salaries salaries etc city officers bonds to tal deduct estimate income deficit the estimate for 1891 omits expenditures for pavement improvements for which moneys can be raised by special tax or assessment or from the sale of bonda for permanent improvements the growth of the city hasmanda it necessary to increase the police force extend the system of street lighting increase the fire department and its force and to begin a system of general improvements adequate to the wants of alie city and which cannot be carried on without a corresponding increase of revenue and a tax of 4 nills on the dollar is a much lighter tax than other cities raise especially at a time when they are making a system of improvements required lequir ed by the growth ot a village to a city while these estimates are only approximate and based on the experience of alie council for part of the year we believe they cannot aa a whole be safely reduced aad that a tax of less than 4 mills will either greatly retard necessary improvements or leave a large deficit at the end of the year 1891 we return herewith the opinion of the city attorney on the question of the power of the council to reduce the rate after it has once been established submitted L 0 JAMES W P LYNN committee on ways and means the attorneys opinion which was quits lengthy was blesy that the council voting as a board of equalization has only the power to determine complaints made in regard to the assessed value of any property may change and correct the valuation either by adding to or deducting but when the rate has once been established they cannot change it |
