St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-03
FIRE BOARD FINAN CES.
Expenditures Creeping Up and
No Money in Sight to Pay 1t.

the following letter being sent to the
president of the board:
Reuben Warner, Esq.,. President Board Fire
Commissioners.
Replying to your inquiry as 10 the standing
OF your board, l beg leave to say that for the
year 1891 it was estimated the expenses of
your department would be 1928, COG .9S. This
sum was not included in the tax levy for
1891. but was to be paid out of the estimated
receipts of the general fund, which receipts
were from the miscellaneous income of the
city. These receipts were estimated at $500
GOO, and were apportioned as follows:
Police department. partial. ........ 94.75O A.
General expenses. IT'S 2l2 60
Total $500. 900 90
Your department expended in 1891. as
shown by the published report of the comp
trolier, S237, 279. "a. In the collection of taxes
for 1891, it would not affect your department
whether all the taxes for that year were col
lected or net, as it was to be paid from the
general collections, as above noted. There
tore the surplus, if any, of collections of 1891,
after paying the certificates of Indebtedness
issued in anticipation of the collection of '9l
taxes, would be apportioned to such depart
ments as were provided for in the levy and
not the miscellaneous collections of the CITY.
AS to the year 1892, there is levy for your
department of S2l500O. and OF this only so
per cent, or SI6S 900, is available during the
year. The 900 is raised By the issue of
certificates of Indebtedness. The remaining
% per cent cannot be used until collected.
During the year 1892 there has been charged
to your department SIP, ZOO 49, There was
credit to your department Jan. /, 1892. of
S6,527S 50. credited since that date. Sll0. 759 n,
making total of S117.2S7 SO. of the so per
cent TO be issued i'll your department there
has been issued S107,590. leaving $50, 500 yet
to be passed to your credit for the expense of
your department for this year. Respectfully,
j. j. MCCARDY, City omptroller.
This letter, while explaining matters
concluslvely, does not help the board
out of the predicament. Expenses and
pay rolls for July, August. September,
October and November will have TO be
paid from the S60.500 remaining to the
credit of the board. The average
monthly expenses are about $4,000, to
amounting to $4,000. Figuring on
this basis, the board will be $4,000
short, without considering the Decem-
Der pay roll or expenses, which, under
the present plan, are not payable until
Jan. Is, 1898. The board will refer the
matter to the city attorney with the
hope that some may can he provided to
give the department the benefit of the
remaining 20 per cent of the tax levy
which has not been collected. -
Comptroller McCardy is rather pecu-
liar. at least he has that rep
utation. and just what weight
city attorney regarding the point would
have is question. When he first took
charge of the Office Mr.. McCardy init
mated that When he desired an opinion
from the city attorney on any legal
question he would ask that official for
one. This expression, taken in connec-
ton with the letter to the board, would
make 1t appear as though the comp
troller intended to read and conStrue
the law according to his own idea.
Several members of the board are talk
ing about shutting up two or
more of the engine houses in
tally with the cash. This does not,
board, who are anxious to make ar
rangements so that this part of the city
government shall not be handicapped.
1t is probable that the business men
will arrange to advance the necessary
amount to tide the department over un-
til next year when the legislature would
make provision for the amount adj
vanced.
One of the members of the board said
yesterday that the whole hOuble was
caused by misunderstanding at the
time tine Bell charter was drafted. The
legislative committee had asked the
board to fix the lowest amount necessary
to run the department. The expenses
had been cut as much as possible
and the salaries figured as close as
could be, the result being that the
board had asked for S215,O0O per annum.
The supposition was that the entire
amount would be available each year.
Another prOviSo was tackled GU the bill
which allowed only so per cent of the
amount to be used, and this was the
reason the financial affairs of the de-
partment were in such bad shape.