Carolina Watchman

Last Year Levy Off $12 Million

School And Road Funds Reduced
Economies Effected By Governor Gardner's Administration In Cutting Cost Of Operation
Reductions Made Possible By Laws Passed By The Last Session Of The Legislature

North Carolina's property tax levy was reduced from the years 1930-31 to 1931-32 by $12,228,000, or from $59,911,000 to $47,684,000, or 20.4 per cent, largely as a result of the State operation of schools and maintenance of roads and the legislative and administrative economies made in local government, Governor Gardner announces, on figures compiled by the State Tax Commission.

This decrease does not take into account that the debt service of counties increased about $4,000,000 for the period.

The analysis of the Tax Commission shows that county levies were reduced $10,055,000, district levies $1,704,000 and municipal levies $769,000.

From $171.00 in Dare and $324 in Clay, the reductions ranged to $849,000 in Mecklenburg and $750,000 in Buncombe, other big reductions being Gaston $44,000, Forsyth $402,000, Durham $393,000, Wake $326,000, Guilford $323,000.

Currituck made the greatest percentage in reductions, 53.4 per cent. Tyrrell and Columbus reduced their levies 38 per cent each, Warren and Vance 36 per cent, Northampton and Gates 35 per cent, Hertford 33, Richmond 31 and Johnston 30 per cent. One county, Currituck, reduced tax levies on property more than 50 per cent; 10 counties from 30 to 40 per cent; 50 counties from 20 to 30 per cent, 33 from 20 and six less than 10 per cent.

Governor Gardner points out that in addition to this $12,228,000 left in the hands of the taxpayers, the cost of operating the State's departments and institutions has been reduced from $8,658,000 in 1929 to $6,167,000 in 1932, a 29 per cent reduction; salaries and wages of State employees have been reduced about $2,750,000 in one year, and more than $9,000,000 will have been cut from the General Assembly appropriations in four years of his term.

20 Per Cent Tax Cut Average In N. C.