St. Paul daily globe., 1888-08-22
Grand total ..........~...s $780, Il


There might be added to this total
also the item of SS1, ,456.21 covering side
walk taxes refunded to property
owners, rendered necessary either by
an annulment of the levy entirely. or
as in cases where the property owners
have themselves laid the walk ordered.
without expense to the city, and had
their taxes remitted. How much of
this expenditure is properly is to be re-
garded as a tax against the property
owners it is not possible to determine.
If this item be added it would increase
the reduction from the figures reported
by Mr.. Nimocks- to the grand total of
S692. 164.40. 1t should be added further
that in the item of legal expenses and
damages is included a Judgment for
s., ,110, secured 10y the Gas Light COM
pany against the city for displacement
of street lights under the contract with
the city. The city holds for this an
ndemnifying bond given by the Brush
Electric Light company, with sureties
which the comptroller regards as good.
Your committee did not see it, however,
to enter this as reduction from the ey-
penditure of the city. Ueducting the
amount above given, and agreed upon
as substantially correct by yourcommit-
tee, the aggregate expenditures of the
city during the year covered by Mr..
NimOck'S communication was the
enormous figure of S3,6S2, 2,3565O. This
would make the tax laid upon everv
resident of the city, if our population is
about 100000, equal to $3.50, and the
tax upon every voter over $50.
1t is proper to explain further that in
the item covering the expenditures by
the board of education is included S165.-
600 received by the board for the Wash
ington school building and site. With
this sum the board of education have
erected new Washington school build
ing of a seating capacity slightly greater
than the old building removed, and at a
cost of S9S.000. The balance of the pro-
ceeds of this sale has been devoted TO
the purchase of other school sites and
the enlargement of school building.
While the expenditures of the board
have been as reported. it is proper that
cognizance should be taken of the fact
that S165, 600 of amount has not been a
direct burden upon the taxpayers.
We find that the bonded debt at pres
ent, and authorized, is as follows:
CITY DEBT.
Bonds outstandlng.... ,..... ......-.S 81, S34. 500
Bonds or cort J5o9o
ro,o, c-o-,oe-
4Otol. .SO,JI4,OO0
COUNTY DEBT.
Court house lands sold S335 ono
Court house bonds authorized. 49,. 4I5,O0O
Bridge bonds ~ Gao
Total. al....,...... ...............ss .ss25. 600
1t is, perhaps, proper to state that
while the item of SS25 900 is not a CITY
debt, the city, because it contains seven
eights of the taxable property within
the county, will be called upon to pay
its own debt of s., ,974, 900 above itemized.
The corrections above given, with
similar corrections in the figures given
for 1884 would make the Comparative
1884 and 1887 as follows:
1884. 1887
Board of educa- -
ton. ;;...-..: S299, 9,o75 16 1874, 700 2s;
Puplc departmt 96,694 54 170,423 81
Poor department. 27,2S7 SO 81 7I4 S6
Salaries city Of
fice:s. 2s,4S2 5s 6s,4s7 "a
n gin e RS de-
partment...... 1858 "a 44OS3 27
Health departmt 4275 SS 2O'5SO o6
Street lights 49,, 33, 1884 so 12S.723 96
Fire department. 121, $40 So. 2ls.3O6 "a
Building inspitof a's577 70 70 1862 1852 S5 S5
Street opening. 1896 so 1896 90
Nater works 49,. 243,665 90 52s,152 81
1t is undoubtedly true that a yery
large proportion of this total expendi-
ture has been made for permanent i'm
provements which might be entered as
assets. but this does not make the bur-
den laid upon the taxpayers of the city
less. Putting aside all consideration of
this feature of the expenditures made
by the city, during the past year, it is
apparent that the cost of government
mas been unreasonable increased, and
hot S- y