REAL ESTATE
AKD
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 11, 1916
RESULTS OF CITY BUDGET ANALYZED
Comparative Study of City's Appropriation, Chargeable Against
Current Revenues for 1917, Compared With Other Years
By DR. FREDERICK A. CLEVELAND, Director, Bureau Municipal Research
"TPHE document entitled "City of New
*â– York, Budget for 1917" was com¬
pleted at 11.32 o'clock p. m., October 31,
official time—early in the morning of
November 1, actual time. It was not till
then that the central stafT—worn to ex¬
haustion by days and nights spent in
analysis of estimates, in independent in¬
quiry, in conferences and hearings—fin¬
ished the draft of the annual appropria¬
tion bill, and members of the board, al¬
most equally exhausted, afiixed their of¬
ficial signatures to ineet the requirements
of law. And this is not a novel pro¬
ceeding; it has been a recurring experi¬
ence year after year. The care taken in
recent years in the preparation of the
ordinance which is to be acted on by
the Board of Aldermen granting funds
for a new year, and the consequent
pressure brought on the employees of
the Board of Estimate and on the mem¬
bers themselves before Noveinber 1, has
been very great. What have been tin-
results?
Total Appropriations Asked for.
The first thing that attracts attention
is that the total amount asked for as a
charge against current revenue is $211,-
115,016.82, which is $1,841,160.72 less than
tbe amount appropriated for 1916, the
current year. But this fact has no sig¬
nificance other than to indicate a proba¬
ble reduction in the tax rate' the sig¬
nificant fact is when the Direct State
Tax of last year and the county items
are eliminated from the camparison the
remaining $203,800,699.59 for city pur¬
poses is $11,921,109.73 more than the ap¬
propriation for city purposes for 1916:
and that this is the largest increase since
1909—in fact, it is among the largest an¬
nual increases that tl e city has known,
and that the reasons for this unusual de¬
mand arc entirely local. This unusual
increase is the more strikin.g when it is
considered that 1917 is the year for the
next municipal election—a year, when,
followin.g the usual instincts of political
managers and the experience of past
years^ we might expect the appropria¬
tions to be cut to the quick. If this
may seem a strained conclusion then we
may look to the appropriations from
current revenue for city purposes for
previous pre-election years.
Why an Increase of $11,921,109.73?
Since this is the last appropriation
which can be made before the next elec¬
tion, it is natural that citizens should be
most critical. Why this increase of $11,-
921,109.73? Any effort to explain at on(:e
leads to a grouping of expenditures in
such a way as will help to relate the
changes to official responsibility. For
this purpose, the appropriations request¬
ed for 1917 are giouped as follows:
1. Appropriations for State pur¬
poses—over which the Board of Es¬
timate has no control.
2. Appropriations for County pur¬
poses—over which the Board of Es¬
timate has little control.
3. Appropriations for city purposes
—.grouped in such a manner as to
show "totals" requested by each
elected executive, and so subdi¬
vided as to show expenditures which
can be controlled bv the Board of
Estimate and those which cannot.
TABLE I—Increase in Total General Fund .Ippropriations—lOOo-iyi'i'.
Total
Year. Budget.
isioa.......................... .$t)7,iiu,o;ii.
1V»04.......................... 106.674,<)o.5.
1905.......................... 109,817,.59.'!,
1900.......................... 110,805,490.
1907.......................... 1:J0,421 ,.505.
1908.......................... 14:1,572,200,
1909.......................... 1.56,.5.52,748,
1910.......................... l(H,128.-270.
1911.......................... 17.3,907.8:35.
1912.......................... 181,090,256.
1913.......................... 192,711,441.
1914.......................... 102,995,.551.
1915.......................... 198,989,786.
1916.......................... 212,950,177
1917 (bill)................... 211,115,016
10
,09
.02
,;17
06
,17
,14
.37
10
51
,10
(12
.52
.54
,82
Amount
of Increase
in Total
Budget.
*9i555'92:;!;'l9
3.1-12,(i:',7,!H
0,9,S7,,S79.:U
i:;,on;,(115.29
]:i.l5(J,7(i(l,51
]2.9,S0,-1S1.'.I7
0,5T5,.-,2L'.L':;
I0,,s:;:),5(;4.7:i
7,122,421.:;5
11.021,1,S4,05
2,s|,ll(i.4C.
5,994,2:',4.9i,)
13,900,391.02
•1,841,160.72
Rate Per
Rate Cent, ot In- Rate
Per Cent, crease in Per Cent, of
of Increase Assessed Increase in
in Total Valua- Tax Rate tor
Budget. tions. N. Y. County.
9.84
2.95
6.30
11.60
10.08
9.04
4.20
0.04
4.09
6.42
.15
3.11
7.02
•.SO
3.83
4.81
0.65
7.76
5.33
1.29
2.29
10.79
•.14
1.53
.70
.84
1.46
(?)
6.98
•1.45
•0.78
0.41
8.70
3.96
4.76
•2.02
6.25
•1.09
•1.66
5.06
9.09
•Decrease.
TABLE II—Primnry Divisions of the Total General Fund
Year.
1903..........
1904..........
1905..........
1906..........
1907..........
1908..........
1909..........
1910..........
1911..........
1912..........
1913..........
1914..........
1915..........
1910..........
1917 (bill)___
Total
Budget.
.$97.119.(i.';l.l0
100,074.:i.55.ij:i
l(i9,.si7,."i'.):',.o:!
110„SI 15.40(1.37
i:;ii.i2i,."05.00
14::.5T2.2(;(;,17
1.5(;.5.-,2.74,s.14
10:'.,12S,L'7O.:',7
l7::,:i(;7.s:;5,io
1N1.(I'.KI.2.5(;.51
192,711,141.10
102.005,551.02
10S,0s:i,7S(i.52
212,'.l5i;.177..54
211,115,010.82
Appropriations
for State
Purposes,
.$.5,50,1.57.28
5.50.542.03
717.024.49
903,032.09
75,704.i:i
4..301,:W5.e5
7,947,031.96
4,570,:W3.43
13|9'75;62i;7.'}
Appropriations
lor County
Purposes.
.f:3,723,004.14
3,711,694.:«
4,042,:M8.00
4.]51,:-10O.5O
4,004,8:i9.50
5,097,802.28
5,17.5,790.23
5,355,124.84
5.453,805.25
5,915,808.43
«,234,661.86
6,630,105.66
7,0:W,716.82
7,101,505.95
7,314,317.23
Appropriations
Appropriat.
—1903-1917.
for City Purposes
Amount.
.$92,,S45,,S()9,
102,4OI',,71.S,
105,O5,s,22O
111,7.")<1,40T
125,CSd !1(;2
1,38,474,40:;
151,:!70,;)51
1.57.77:;,115,
108,514,020,
170,87:;,1(12,
178,.520,747,
18l,7.'^;),os2,
191,050,(K!!),
191,870,.5,SO,
203,S(-I0,()00
OS
1:;
,54
.l,S
(c;
,so
,01
.'.'i
a::
,:;4
Rate P. C.
of Increase.
10.30
2.59
6.37
12.47
10.18
9.:33
4.23
6.81
1.40
4.48
1.83
5.59
•.04
(S.21
•Decrease.
TABLE III—Primary Classification of Appropriations for City Purposes—1903-1917.
Tear. Total.
1003......... $92,845,809.68
1004......... 102,400.718.73
1905......... 105,058.220..54
1906......... 111,750,497.18
1907......... 125.080,962.03
1908......... 1.38,474.403.80
19(19......... 151,376,951.91
1910......... 1.57,773,145.53
1911......... 108.514,029.91
1912......... 170,873.102.43
1913......... 178,.529,747.34
1914......... tlSl,789,0,82..53
1915......... 101,956,009.70
1910......... 191.879,589,86
1917......... 203.800,099.59
•Tax
Dericiencies.
.$3,000,
3,000,
2,922
4.0IX),
lO.OOO
3,287,
2,:300,
2,500,
0,112,
4,000,1
5.000,
000.00
',000.00
,447,08
,000,00
,000.00
:?00.74
,000.00
'.OOO.OO
(192.44
000.00
.000.00
Debt
Service.
$23,094,008.85
29,711,290.04
2o,2(;(;,oo4.7:;
:il,110,2117,21
:;5,25s.445,:;7
40,454,772.S(;
47,22:;,o7s.:;:;
4(;,4i:;,(;;i5,72
.5o,(;oi,,s2i,o:i
51,254,52S.17
54,077,:;,si,:;i
52,i;i 1,517.115
5o,v';2,:;,-<l,o4
63,2i:t,210.11
09,744,,508.95
Other
Fixed
Charges
and Non-
Departmental
Expenses.
$5,226,552.12
5.098,403.90
5.045 11.50,:;o
5,.502,1,S5.10
(i,o:;i,700,74
(;,,S08,O22.71
7,014,5ll(l,(;r
,s,o,si,7:;o,ii
.s,(Ki5,:;:;i).ii7
,S,217,247,115
S,I4,S,2112.70
S.CSll.OOO.OO
s 71i;,2,S9.37
8,822,203.93
9,010,212.47
Depart'l
Expenses of
Administra¬
tion, Oper¬
ation and
Maintenanc3
Amount.
$03,925,188.71
07,500.964.79
70.745,575.42
75.(142,104,81
.sl,:;; 10,725,92
,KS,121,0O8,:i2
o:;,:;i(;,,s20.,S3
110,247.719.70
OO,75(i,,S07.05
l(W,u:;,o.59..57
112,SOI,073.21
117.407..553.82
117.295.300.85
111.5,844,115.82
120,039,918.17
Rate
Per
Cent,
of In¬
crease.
5.74
4.00
6.07
8.46
8.27
5.90
6.35
.51
8.38
4.34
4.13
t.l5
tl.24
8.62
•Prior to 1907 Tax Deficiencies were allowed far in advance in computing the tax levy, but the
item was not included in the budget.
tlncludes Borough assessments, $.521),015,0(; in addition to items shown in succeeding columns,
i Decrease.
TABLE IV-
Year.
1004........
-Classification of .ipproi
t ion
Total,
........ 07,.500.904.70
yriations for Departmental E.rpenses
and Maintenance—1903-1917.
•Legislative tJudicial
branch. Branch.
$15:1,152,00 $1,183,800.(10
154,4.50,00 1.201,5.511.(1(1
150.0.50,(K) 1,207,5,50,00
100,1.52.00 1.270..5.50.0((
2:;5.702.(K) 1.400.1.50.00
238 v.'-.d (10 1 SJ(!,(;"OOo
201,806.00 2,171,370.00
2(ll,4(K>.0O 1.0S7.:i05,OO
27s,(i.52.(N) 2.:!02.i:;7.oo
2S5,S1(I,(K( 2.449,012.00
:;(ll,808.84 2,513,188.09
:;01.21,S.,84 2.001.774..S5
3oO.107.80 2.017.853.92
283,277..50 2.077.511.25
2.S9,958.(K) 2,780,491.00
of Adiiiini.strc
——§ Executive
4inoiiJit,
$02.5SS,2:;(;.71
(;o,177,05s,7i(
O'i,:;2i,oi;o,i2
7:;.002.402,SI
70.751.S7:;,02
.v(; o'l: 1.....:-_:
90,883,653.88
00,OOS,11 l.s.7o
07.175.078,1)5
lo5.:;79,i:;7,.57
loo,osii.o7(;.'JS
114,5i;l,,500,13
Ii4,:;(;s,2,s5,i:;
112.s,s:;,:',-'7,n7
110,963.409.17
ition, Opera-
Branch-------^
Rate
Per Cent, ot
Increase.
.'i.V.'i
lOOO........
........ 75.(I4->.10I.S1
4.75
0.19
1007........
........ 81,:W0.725.02
s,:',o
1908........
1010........
..... 88 i2i.(;os,:;2
........ 03 310 829,83
........ 90.247.710.70
7 "0
8.33
0,74
1911........
1912........
........ 00.750 ,S(;7,115
........ 108.113.1150,57
0.18
8.44
4..37
1014........
4.10
):1.72
1916........
1017........
........ 115.844.115.82
........ 120,030,918,17
f 1 •!()
3.62
•Includes Board of Aldermen. President of Board of Aldermen, City Clerk and their subordinates.
4-Inrludcs all courts of city (not county). Hoard of Pnrole and General Interpreter, Brooklyn.
SInchulcs organization units shown in Tahl(>s IS to 30 following,
t Decrease.