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Mayors Message
Proposes Amendment to the City Charter
To the
Honorable City Council
Gentlemen:
It is rather late to make a suggestion
for another proposed amendment to the City
charter; but I have hoped that so important a
matter as tjat to w hich I desire to call your att-
ention would have suggested itself. I am very
reluctant to intrude my opinion as the charter
revision Committee and your honorable body
are bith well equipped to complete the work you
have undertaken. I ask however that you
incopporate this proposition with those to be
published in order that it may be considered.
You are aware that the City is in debt
over $200,00.00 for current expenses for whose
funding no legal method is available even if
it were good pubic policy to incur a bonded
debt for running expenditure. Next year the
City will have no money whatever to run on.
except about $160,000.00 derived from licenses
fines and fees. The tax levy in September will
not be available until the following March
and soeach suceeding year wukk carry a
heavy interest bearing laod. I calculate that
by the proposed amendments there will be raised
in addition to sufficient for each ensuing
year's expenses, with a levy of two mills extra
$88,000.00 down to one mill extra say $44,000.00
even at the present valuation so thae in five
years by very easy stages the city will be
able to wipe out out its floating indebtedness.
You must not shirk this question longer
a very serious danger is impending unless fore-
sight is followed by sagacious action.
Unless some step is taken now there is
no remedy possible until the State Legislature
meets in1893, and by that timethe City
scrip will have depreciated to a most mischeveous
degreee and an embarrassing condition will