The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-04-09
HOW MUCH DOES The CITY
OWE?
How Much Can the Council
Tax the People2
How Much Money Can the Council
Expend:
Can the Council Legally Increase the
Debt2
HOW MUCH DOES THE CITY OWE?


We doubt if anybody can now answer
this question, At the close of Mayor
Galt's administration there was reported
a debt of $264,674.27. Deduct from this
the amount of the water bonds, $4,000
and domestic bonds $4,000 and it leaves
a debt of $l3l, 37427 represented by out
standing city orders. 1t seems incredi-
BILE that city orders to that amount can be
outstanding, and Mayor Davenport be-
lieves there must be an error, somewhere,
in the bookkeeping, perhaps it occur
red years ago, as the sum of outstanding
orders has been large for years past. He
says part of this sum is in orders given
for money borrowed and that such orders
are drawing interest. He intends to in
stitute an investigation and ascertain the
amount of interest bearing orders; also
ascertain whether there is any error in the
sum represented as outstanding, and have
the facts reported for the information OF
the people.
HOW MUCH CAN THE COUNCIL TAX THE
PEOPLE.
The council is authorized by our city
charter 70 levy mills on the dollar of the
assessed value of property, for contingent
aud other expenses" mills for streets
and highways s." % mills for Interest on
the public debit and q mills for the
erection of city hall, markets, hospitals
city prison or work house, market ground:
public squares, or any other like improve
ments )" also sum sufficient to defra!
one-half of the expenses Of erecting anC
furnishing lamp posts and lamps, and
lighting the streets, in the districts paying
the same" This is all the authority th'
council has to raise money "a trif'
over Is mills on the dollar of the assess
ment.
HOW MUCH MONEY CAN THE COUNCIL Elk
PEND?
1.-The appropriations of the city counci
''for the payment of interest, for improve
''ments, and for city expenses, during tn
fiscal year shall not exceed the amour
of the whole ordinary revenue of the cit.
''for the fiscal year immediately proceed
ing, See City Charter. page AZ.
The amount of the whole ordinary reve
nue. for last year will be the amount re
cived for taxes, licenses, tolls rents, ETC.
etc. The council can not legally expend
greater sum, for all purposes, than tn,
whole amount of the revenue for the pre-
ceeding year.
CAN THE COUNCIL INCREASE THE CIT
DEBT?
The only power the council has to boz
row money is found on page 43 of tn
Amended City Charter - and the cit
debt must never exceed sum ''the inter
''est on the aggregate amount of whicl
"shall exceed the one half of the city re,
''enue arising from the ordinary take
within the city for the year immedatel
preceding"
, The amount of taxes assessed last yea
was $54,12O 81. One half this sum (sul
posing every dollar to be collected)is $27
800 But how much was the actual re,
enue arising from the ordinary taxes
t Our interest account last year foots u
p $21, $50 81. Will the actual ''revenu
arising from ordinary tares," last yea
: exceed, in cash paid into the treasury, tn
sum of $43,1 6S? If not then the cour
Gil can not legally borrow any more MOI
: ey