Salt Lake Telegram | 1937-08-06 | Page 6 | Was This Necessary?

Was This Necessary? THE CITY COMMISSION fixed the tax levy for 1937 one mill higher than it was for 1938, or from 14 to IS mills. It argues that tax valuations valua-tions for 1937 stand at $130,927,000. In 193 they stood at $141,881,584, a drop of $11,954,584. Unless Un-less the rate had been increased, the commission urged, according to figures presented to it by City Auditor Samuel F. Nicholls. the loss of revenue) to the city would amount to $160,000. The one-mill Increase to offset this loss is calculated cal-culated to yield $118,000 on the 1937 valuation, though with a 100 per cent collection the figure would be $130,827. But on the estimated collection, the city would be short about $44,000 the difference between the revenue drop of $180,000 and the $118,000 it expects to collect The drop in assessed valuations valua-tions and the increase in the levy, expressed in percentages, are as nearly equal as possible without going into infinitesimal fractions of a milL The fact is, the city, on a percentage basis, takes the short end. Taxpayers might feel that this was fair enough. But the commission either didn't remember some pretty sizeable figures or it kept them face down, like an ace In the hole. It should have remembered re-membered them, though, because they figured in the fiery public hearing on the Erwin-Matheson feud over immediate spending of $45,000 not collectible until next year. Then there was still another set of figures which do not appear to have been brought out into the full light of day. The last legislature made available to cities some fairly healthy funds. Salt Lake City's share of surplus motor vehicle registration fees, the money involved in the serio-comic Erwin-Matheson squabble, will amount to $89,000 in round figures. Also by grant of the legislature, the city will have about $50,000 from beer licenses. Added they amount to $130,000. Applied to the loss of revenue consequent upon reducing tax valuations, this total would have reduced it from $160,000 to $21,000. Inasmuch as it exceeds by $23,000 the yield of $116,000 the one-mill raise ia expected to produce, the whole combination com-bination of circumstances seems to show that the city treasury will garner just $2000 more than It had last year. So, if the tax rate had been left alone and the $139,000 applied to offset the revenue loss, the forthcoming budget surely could have been trimmed to effect a saving of $1750. a month. As things stand, there ia $168 a month to be available avail-able for "extras" coming out of the 1937 tax yield to the city. ' Now, as the commissioner figure the chores they want to do with this money extracted from the pockets of the taxpayers, it may all look like square shooting with the townspeople. But folks will wonder if the-hike in the levy was necessary, neces-sary, and also wonder why all the figures, the windfall from the state included, did not come in for display and discussion. It should not pass unnoticed that Provo commissioners com-missioners Thursday stuck to the 1938 city levy, even planning to reduce the city debt $30,000 with 1937 tax collections. In Ogden the commissioners com-missioners stuck to the 193S and 1938 levy and till were able to plan an appropriation of $30,-000 $30,-000 to the city and county building fund.