Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-03


heating. extras. etc.. ts--- s.Hi
tisooo -
We mad in the treasury Of that fund
from . former appropriation go. 90,
and yet only $1,000 was put into the tax
budget for the past year, which viii
leave rs short t22 ,o55.34, which must
be paid and Tor which We must shin
around and rob other funds till II can
be raised by taxation. Besidos, as soon
as tho building is completed 1t must be
furnished at an expense of $4606.5S, for
which no provision has been made ex-
cept that 1t be paid out Of the general
fund.
q The first relief to the depleted fund
that We can get will be from the col
lection of the liquor tax and the
licenses, aud | urge upon the ways and
means and the license committees to
see tnat these taxes are collected
promptly, and even these may not suf-
nee I'LL the general taxes commence to
come In.
Economy and Caution Urged
While We strain every nerve to in
crease the clty's income, it is also our
duty to exercise rigid inspection over
Its outgo. Much of this Is in the ma
ture of fixed charges that We cannot
reduce.
Annual interest on the several water
works loans amounts to upwards Of
$4,000 on debt of nearly 81 ,000, 900.
On the city hall loan of $3.50, 900, the
the iRerest is $500 per annum.
And on bonds issued for local i'm
provements. to the amount of 81 .000,-
900, the interest is $4,000 annually. of
which principal sum one-fourth $780,
000). natures August /, 1892.
the Indebtedness incurred for school
purposes of nearly $500, 900 involves an
annual interest charge of over $l4, 900.
Expenditure for police and fire pro-
lection cannot well be reduced In
growing city like this.
These heavy items l have briefly in
dicated, and ON which little or no re-
duction can be effected, make il all the
more incumbent upon US to practice
strict economy whenever opportunity
offers.
Causes OF Deficiency.
The condition in which we find the
treasury and the large amount Of
money necessary to be raised each year
by general taxation is due in some de-
gree to the method, or lack of method,
in which in some directions the busi-
ness of the city has for many years
been conducted till it has become
almost an established custom.
The rule has prevailed in this city for
long time that the fund necessary to
pay for opening and grading and paw
ing streets and building sewers and
such local public Improvements should
be raised by special assessments upon
the adjacent benefited property. A
considerable expense, however, Is Of
ten incurred in snch Improvements, in,
the way of preliminary work in estab-'
lishing grade lines. IN making profles,
plans and estimates Of costa, etc., all of
which expense has to be paid at first out
of funds raised by general taxation, but
which should IN all cases be included
in the assessed expense of such i'm
provement and returned to the fund
out of which it had been paid, and 1
recommend that the committee on
ways and means see to it that in ad-
dition to the contract price for every
local improvement, there shall be in-
cluded IN its assessed expense an ade-
quate sum for which incidentals and
preliminary work. and when collected
that it be returned to the fund from
which it Was taken and not be lost
sight of and frittered away on extras.
Evil of Tax Title Purchases
Again, when local assessments of the
paid and the property Is cold for the
tax, if 1t is bid IN 10y the city then
the amount of the tax is paid out Of
20 ~
carried by the whole city, and in this
every year by general taxation and paid
out 70 finish up local assessments. And
worse yet, 10 farther attention Is de-
voted to getting back the money paid
for the tax title. either by trying to
hunt up the owner and attempting to
collect, or by selling it or by taking
possession of the property and using it..
But we simply wait for something TO
turn up, and today the city is carrying
tax titles to the amount of $29, ,2s2.5 .53
without adding anything for interest,
which, IL we could realize would 60 far
TO help US out of our difficulty, and
recommend that this matter be re-
ferred to q committee together with
the city attorney to devise some means
I'd uUlO&0 tuiS lDCuoo5 8uu W spteu-
lily dispose of such titles in the future.
The comptroller will furnish complete
detailed statement of these various tax
titles which will be of great service II
any action is taken.
This drain from funds raised by gen.
eral tax into special funds for local i'm
provements must be stopped. No ad-
vance or transfer from one fund TO
another should be made or tolerated,
unless the same be surrounded with
safeguards sufficient 10 insure its
prompt and complete restitution.
Cheeks on Ovsrdraf.a
The charter. title 10, section 10, page
100 provides for dividing the revenues Of
the city into nine funds (naming them
aud tenth, provides for ''such other
funds - the common council may con-
stitute for special purposes, not incon-
sistent with, or to be taken from any
Of the funds above constituted, and
the common council are especially pro-
hibited from transferring anv money
whatever from any Of the funds above
constituted or raised 10 any special
fund. except Tor the purpose expressly
stated"
Asan, title 4, section II, page 81 Of
the charter provides that. after eacr
session Of the common council, at
which any claims or demands against
the city have been duly allowed. the
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