The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-03
THE COUNCIL.
MESSAGE FROM HIS HONOR MAYOR
ROBERTSON.
An Ordinance to Issue $4,000
in Bonds.

IN BOnuSs
There was a called meeting of IL
city council last evening to considt
the CITY finances and devise means
meet the immediaee necessities of tt
situation.
Eson in the chair and Aldermen Brusl
cock, Hill, Driskill, Erwin, Darlington
Mas, Odell, Platt, Schuber and Well
Mayor Robertson read message t
the council giving his views at cor
siderable length as to the city finance
and other matters of municipal inter
est. He favored among other thing
the repeal of all the finance ordinan
ceS and issuing new bonds more suita
BILE for investment. He favors perma
nent rather than temporary improve
ments. Bonds should not be ISSUES
and debts incurred for mere Temporal
ry purposes. Ii but one street is i'm
proved at time, let it be done per
manently. The public schools ant
their management are commended as
worthy of support. The marshall
force should be placed more under hi
control. Some improvements are sug
gested as to keeping the city accounts
The contract with the Water Com
pany is referred to as a matter Of
great concern, there being no perma
nent contract with the company. He
presumed the company could be indu
ced to extend its mains to the great
advantage of the city under the priv
leges of an extended lease.
THE MESSAGE.
Gentlemen of the city council:
In entering upon the duties OF
the office of mayor of the
city OF Austin, it is but just to myself
as well as to your honorable body
that | should present brief resume
If the condition of our city affairs
and make such recommendations as
may deem expedient, rs to the public
policy to be pursued in the admins.
tration of the city government.
find on the very threshold of these du-
ties, that grave responsibilities are ne.
fore us, and that it will require intelli.
gence, conServ atism and economy in
the management of affairs. if we hope
to secure to the people such city
government as they have the right to
demand and expect at our hands.
Many complications aud embarrass-
ments exist, but by a faithful adher-
ance to principle and duty, l believe
these difficulties may be easily over
come. 1t it well for us at this time
to address ourselves to the faults as
they exist, and to deal with them as
best we may. In executing this trust
the people expect much of
us, and we, as well as
the people should understand the is
sues before us.
1t is impossible for me, at this time,
to enter into discussion of the ne
cessities and wants of the city. l can
only refer to those most important
matters that are demanding immedi-
ate and prompt attention, and to
these L will address myself.
CITY FINANCES.
The financial condition of the city
is much embarrassed. When the
present city counsel came into office,
in December 1883, there was an out
standing bonded debt of $99, 400; out
standing Understanding warrants,
about $13,500. OF the bonded debt,
$14,400 became due January 1, 1884.
This, with the Understanding war
rants. created an immediate demand
on the treasury for about $4,000,
Your predecessors, in November 1888.
authorized the sale of city bonds to
the amount of $4,000, provided for
under the amended charter, and $15,-
600 for the purpose of refunding the
bonds falling due January 1st. These
bonds were offered for sale, but
for some reason were not sold
a loan of $4,000 was negotiated on
these bonds in New York, and the
money was used to pay off the inter
est warrants to January bonds. To
meet this loan and prevent sacrifice
of the city's bonds, this council prop
erly applied and appropriated every
dollar in the city treasury, and in this
way consumed all the special funds in
the treasury, as well as the warrant
revenue for the year. This course
was unavoidable, and was the only
means of saving the city from heavy
losses. These bonds, released from
hyporhication, are now in the hands
OF the city treasurer.
The taxes for the current year are
about all collected, and the balance IN
your treasury Tor all purposes, does
not exceed $500. The interest OH
the bonded debt leaves due July l,
variants amounting to $4,3O0. The
amount due the city water company
on its contract for first half of the
year 1884, is $5,025. The payroll for
June win amount to about
$1,000. Other valid claims
against the city amount to
several thousand more, the exact or
approximate amount L have no
means of stating. III addition to this
the special funds are entitled to re-
endorsement for the amounts bor-
rowed or used from them. The with
drawal of $4,000 from the general
revenues of the current year, to pay
past due warrants on bonds has
produced the embarrassment in which
we find ourselves placed. 1t creates
the necessity for the sale of portion
or all of the bonds authorized to be is
sued, and while l am opposed in prin-
clple to any increase of the bonded
deDt, yet L see no way to avoid this
result under the circumstances sur
rounding us. The obligations of the
city are sacred and must be honored
and respected. This debt is not of
ynur creation, it comes down to us by
ia leritance from our predecessors.
II It the necessity exists and the
o. ,stion must be solved to the best of
ouc ability, for the good of the city.
l am advised by bankers and finan-
ciers, in whom l repoSe great
confidence, that the bonds
heretofore issued cannot be sold
to the advantage they should be. A
part of them have been refused on ac-
count of the form of the obligation. 1
believe it the better and safer policy
to repeal all ordinances authorizing
the issue of bonds, and to pass new,
comprehensive ordinance, providing
for the issue and sale of such amount
of the bonds of the city as may be nee
essary to meet present emergencies
Such bonds to run twenty years, re-
deemable after ten years at the pleas
ure of the city, and to bear interest al
the rate of six per cent. per annum
payable semi-annually. / would fur
Their recommend that the sale of these
bonds be entrusted to some bank Of
banker of Austin, and that he be &C
corded reasonable compensation fol
his services; otherwise you can not
expect the highest price obtsinable fol
the bonds.
1t was determined before the presen
city council came into office that tn
amount of forty thousand dollars o
bonds should be sold and the product
used to pay the outstandin,
interest warrants and the bond
maturing January 1, 1884, and tn
remainder to be appropriated to neces