The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-05-02
CITY COUNCIL
[ pecial Meeting Of the New Council. called
by the Mayor for the purpose of orgauil.
ing and Tor Approval OF Bondsl

Council CHAMBER,
CAino, us April 80, 1874, 7lpm
Present h's honor the Mayor aud Al
dermen Halliday, Msthuss, McEwen,
McGauley, Morris, Nellis, saup, This
.Iewood, WAlder and Wright-i0.
On motion OF Aldormaa Morris the |
minutes Of the preceding meeting were
approved without reading.
MAYORS MESSAGE.
The mayor arose and addressed the
council az follows
GENTLEMEN OF TIE CITY COuNCiL =
1.-THE city charter of the city of Cairo provides
that the mayor shall from time to time give
to the civ Council information relative TO
the state Of tho city financially and other
wise. IL Is not my purpose. however, to en-
Ter into any extended remarks Ut this time,u s
the policy have pursued In the past year
will necessarily have to he followed in the
one we are now entering. II has been said
that the last or, so far H. ! am concerned.
the present city government has done noih-
ing during the year that's past. and by doing
nothing has thereby not been dangerous
administration. In reply have to say that
~ long the appropriation past by the city
| Council was uneNpended. all of the city oi-
| cials had enough 10 do. And in proof of this
| point merely ask reference 10 the record,
| of the Council in the first live or six months
| to show the expenditures in that time. Ii
has been and Is now my determined pur-
posc,. whenever the appropriations for the
| year are expended. to immediate stop all
| Improvements except those absolutely nee
ossary for. the protection and safety or the
| citizens. For the sake of harmony, We VIII
| admit that the administration bas not done
| much and thereby is not dangerous. ! think
we can safely say, II would have been much
| better tor the city OF Cairo II the same could
| he said Of some of the past administrations.
| If some of the past city government, had not
| been 30 dangerous. aud 30 lavish with their
| expenditures, the present Adm nistratiOn
| could probably have been able to procure
| more FUNDS ~ prosecute some oi the pubic
| improvements 81 much required for the ben
| eft of the city. In other WoIds, II there had
been less expended ON pump machinery, and
| railroads. and less scrip and, bonds thrown
| over the Ohio leNec In their use, aud fewer
bonds exchanged for scrip ut the rate Of 33h
pcrc ent., 1t would not need 10 have been said
that this administration has done nothing.
But. on the other hand when the finances are
such a. to take all of taxes allowed by law to
he collected To pay the interest on our indebt-
cdnesN, and TO keep up the necessary repairs
OF sidewalks, y e II Will be seen al a glance
that no improvements however necessary can
be made. The cgi> lattire of this state pro-
hibt> any city from leyying, aud collecting q
tax greater than ! per cent. the total as
ses-ed valuation Therefore l believe. that
If the mayor and the city council OF the city
| OF Cairo were ever n much in favor OF pub
lie improvements. they could not possibly
prosecute them. We are forbidden
BY law 10 increase the indebt-
cdness of the city by issuing new bonds
, other than to pay existing indebtedness
more scrip, over and above what
0 | viii be taken up in the col
lection of taxes, licenses. &C.. for the cur
h rent year. 10 do otherwise, would be vi
8 olation of the city charter, and our OATH o
A | Office, cither of which | do not believe ih'
pas, council or the present one will be viii
ing to do.
| all of the over due bonds of the city. amount
ing to eleven thousand four hundred dollar
including interest. part of which has been re
deemed the balance will be n soon IL II !
J, collected. We have reduced the amount Q
Olltst snding scrip eight thousand Two hun
bred and siXty-thrce dollars ana thirty
q live cents, making total reduction OF tn
. iudebtncs> of the city nineteen thou and IL
hundred and sixty three dollars and thirty
10 five cents. And should we reduce the GU
q, standing indebtedness Il like amount eac
y year it will take fully ten wears TO reduce I'll
Indebtedness of the city within it, constitu
e ional limit. While am H. much In favor {
public Improvements A. amy citizen can III
! believe II H. the only remedy we have lei
to keep reducing. the indebtedness and ut ID
same time 10 lie ~ lenicnt on the taxpayer
|
h performed more taxes would be required
- and that being necessarily the case | kno
r of no taxpayer hut what thinks he pay
enough already. .
| have extended these remarks to sho
De that IL f. not the fault OF the present admit
a istratiOn that they do not launch out I'M
extensive Improvements. II i the want
III money and beng in want of that, II l. US
l. less 10 croak about publfc improvement
A. stated before II we had some of the mo
cy in the treasury that has been expended
and no permanent improvements made
the expenditure, we might be able to II
prove our streets, fill up our low places, NJ
ut some time or other we could pOsnlb
look forward 10 the time when wa rou
have filled our city above periodical HIG
sIpE WATER MARX.
~ For u fuiI and complete Statement, OF fnal
ID ces OF the city, on the hr.t day or Apr
:. A. ID. 1874, respectfully refer you to u
10 city comptrolers report herewith submitte
" IL embraces u statement for the mon
!, Of March 1874, and also a fun statement
- the fiscal year ending April ,t,lS7i
10 while we have exceeded in the aggrega
ID nine hund!cd and fifty-two dollars al
eighty-scyen cents the amount appropriate
NJ il you give us credit for special assesmen
AZ collected and yet to be collected for sid
walks, you will lind that we are within Il
appropriation from $1,000 TO $4,000.
Gentlemen. before leaving this part of n
remarks. there j. one matter wish to bril-
. | specially before the council and which "
:. strongly recommended by me 10 me Ia
VI | council. My recommendation was TO fit
at | all Of the outstanding city scrip and make
q. payable in one, two and three years, collo'
at ing each year the amount necessary 10
In | collected to pay principal and interest. u
IN objection in the way at that time was the L
~ | per cent. interest bearing scrip. Now III
~ | that has been done away with and no mo
~ interest allowed ON new scrip issued, THU
Do 1t would he sound policy To find what j. OF