The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-31
CITY OFFICIALS COMPLAINING.
Fears that the Low Appraisment Will Cause
Deficit in Municipal Finances.

No one is worrying over the low appraisment
except the city officials what will we do" say
they. with reduced duplicate and city levy
restricted to 80 cents It is all right for the
ty, and the fact that it saves Marion county
from the burden of helping along other parts of
the State is good enough, but you know with
the city it is different"
''In what waya" suggested the re porter to q
councilman as he repeated this complaint, which
had been heard once or twice before from other
sources.
"The county can get through all right by limit
ing its expenditures.
"And can't the city do the same?'
How, would like to know? If you can tell
me where to make reductions in the expenses of
the large departments would be obliged. Take
the police as an example. Now, the City Coun-
eli has no direct control over the force, and if it
did, doubt if the expenses could be lessened.
Indeed, the force is not sufficiently large for a
city of this size. The fire department expenses
can't be reduced without impairins its Il iency.
| There is need of further expenditures in that
way, but it is use to talk about Them for an
increase would have been an impossibility, even
with the duplicate of last years value. I
do not see where any scaling can be
made, except in street improvements and sewer
age work. For our gas, we are bound by con-
tract that has two years to run. A contract also
keeps US to certain rates for water and"
And those rates areP
well, / confess they are somewhat high.
Fifty dollars for each fire plug is too much. as is
the same rate for the drinking fountains and the
$256 per year for the fountain in Military ParkP
You will have an early opportunity to effect
a release from the old contracts"
Eyes, and we must either lessen the number
of fire. plugs get lower rate. There may be
a saving in this, but at the same time do not
think the water company will consent to
duction on the rates of the expiring contract,
unless the city requires of it the laying less
number of feet of mains. They are now held to
not more than 10, 500 feet per year. and want this,
| understand, reduced to 5000 feet With this
concession the company is willing to renew at
the old prices of $50 for each plug and drinking
fountain, and $256 for Military Park which, /
repeat, are too high. The company says it is
making no money at these prices, and with
the proportionately small number of private
consumers 1t is another requisite, insisted on
by the company, that all orders for the laying of
mains recently passed by Council, shall be
nulled."
'You believe, then, there is chance to save
dollar o. two on new water contractW
Probably. am in favor of lower rate. but
that does not help materially the general reduc-
ton of expenses that ought to be made to escape
deficit with our restricted levy. If the coming
Legislature will allow us to add ten cents for
sewerage purposes, and give Council power to
plete our sewerage system and keep and inn
prove the streets But without this / do not see
how those items of expenditures can bear re-
duction."
You can't cut in any other department."
"Well, no. The contracts / speak of are in
the way, as are the conditions surrounding ex-
penditures for fire and police"
The last annual report of city expenditures in
the various departments shows very material
leseenings except for water. It required $53.-
N
$50 lO1 % for the preceding year, and 49, 712 40
less than the amount paid for she same service
in 1875 In the last-named year the fire de-
partment cost $l38, LOG sc, compared with $780,
664 43 for last year. During the past ten years
the reductions have been equally as great in
other departments. "And yet the city has not
suffered" said gentleman when these figures
were laid before him. Il can see no reason why
the city officials should be exercised over this
low appraisement. If the city's financiers will
amply themselves closely to the question of re-
duction, do cot think any of the departments
will suffer-"
'But any reductions" remarked another
must be made upon the contingency that the
forthcoming Legislature will relieve US of a
restricted levy. There will be deficit this
year, which can doubtless be met by borrowing
money to cover it, as the city's credit is good;
but what are we to do the next year, unless the
Legislature comes to our relief? Marion county
and the city can hardly count on that, as the
back counties are always chary in granting us
any legislation Then it is possible the tax
payers will cry out against high levy
THE popular voice. though, is for high levy
and low apprasement," said gentleman. "The
latter has been secured. and the levy limits can
be secured if the matter is taken up in the right
way. There will be no great difficulties from
low appraisement. 1t has been made, and I,
with thousand other tax payers, am not sorry
about it. The outcome will be that of a much
more prosperous condition than we have en-
ioyed as city for years past"