The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-11-06
City Finances.

Inc CITY cOunCu Oh OtaWo have passed. AL
ordinance calling upon the people of this city
to vote, on Tuesday, the SOth of November
inst, in favor of loan of fifteen thousand
dollars, to meet present and accruing city in
debtedness. The financial statement in
another column, prepared by the city clerk
and analysed by the finance committee, will
explain the necessity for this loan. The mat
ter may be made still more intellegible by
the statement of few facts not given in these
reports.
When, in February last, it became manifest
that the revenues of this city, as limited by
law, were insufficient 70 support the public
schools on proper scale, and to carry on the
city government on such q scale as the repu-
tation, interests and welfare Of the city evil
IDENTIFY demanded, sundry meetings were held
by our leading citizens, the general affairs
and finances of the city overhauled, and then
three measurers were agreed upon, for each of
which special act of the Legislature was
deemed necessary, and delegations were sent
to Springfield to procure the passage of such
special acts. These were, l. To obtain au-
thority to levy an additional tax of mills
for one year, and mills for the second year,
to pay Indebtedness of the school board; 2.
Authority to levy an additional tax of mills
for general city purposes; and 3. Authority
for the city to vote in favor of bonus of
$50 900 to be paid to secure the improvement
of the water power at Ottawa The addition
al school tax, it was estimated, would in
crease the revenue of the board from about
S17 600 to $4,000; the increased city tax
would raise the city revenue from about Sl4,-
900 to $4,000; and the other measure would
secure the water power Improvement All
these measures, it was believed, the legisla-
ture would pass without hesitation.
In this, however, the people of Ottawa
counted without their host. The first meas
ure-for the school tax-was passed at once.
The second measure-to increase the city
revenue-was passed, but stolen in its passage
from the senate to the governor by some
caitif from Ottawa who knew better what
the people of Ottawa wanted than they did
themselves; and the third, by the same dis.
reputable interference, was so mutilated as to
be Intellectual for the purpose intended.
Meantime, however, a new city council had
been elected in Ottawa, and acting under the
impression that the bill to increase the city
revenues had become law, they projected,
on the urgent petition of the owners of two
thirds of the taxable property of the city, one
or two substantial improvements, notably the
iron fence around Washington square, and
8, couple Of long needed ravine bridges,
to cost in all some 1900. The contracts were
let and the work begun when it was finally
discovered that the bill for the increase OF
the city revenue had not become law. To
stop the work seemed impossible, and
plans were devised to raise the means in some
other way. AS property heretofore had been
assessed only at onc-third its actual value, it
was decided to raise the assessment to one.
half. The effect of this was to add about So
400 to the city revenue, but at the same time
to increase the school revenue some $500
above the sum contemplated to be raised for
school purposes by the citizens meetings in
the winter and the special act.
The comparative effect on the city and
school revenues respectfully may be seen more
plainly by the following tabular statement.
Year. City. School. Special School. Total
I I: i5sS;s s:$ssss 49, /
Out of these sl7,52O 90, to which should,
however, be added some $4,000 collected by
the city from licenses, poll tax, &C., must be
taken some Sl6,50o for salaries of city officers
whom the city charter requires the Council to
appoint, for principal and interest on loans, for
bridge tenders, street labor, special sewer ex-
penses, s&c.-items over which the present
Council had no control and there are really
left for city purposes but trile over 81, 900 for
all other city purposes, such as lighting streets,
making crossings, building bridges, and meet.
ing those thousand other expenses that are
constantly accruing.
The loan asked for by the Council is abso-
lutely necessary to save the city from financial
dishonor. If it is not voted, city orders, of
which by no sort of management it is possible
to avoid putting less than $4,000 to $l2, 900
afloat within the next six months, will sink to
40 or so cents on the dollar, and whatever
work it will be absolutely necessary for the city
to have done, will cost double what it ought to.
The CITY Council need maka M annlnnx for