Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-05-26
coUNcI1 ~ A DrnEmMa.
The Failure TO Introduce tho Appropr
tion Ordinance ut the Last Meeting M
I.nul Tn I.n.s,ll Communications

The Failure TO Introduce tho Appropria-
ton Ordinance ut the Last Meeting May
Lead to Legal Complications.
Neglect TO introduce ut the last meeting
OF City Council an ordinance making APP
preparations for the expenses of the next
nscal year is certainly an irregularity and
may put Council in dilemma. Section
10 OF the city charter says:
The. fiscal year OF the city of Wilmington
snail A., Hereafter begin on the first day of July.
Inc Council shall, on or before the first stated
meeting IN May In each year. cause TO be pre-
pared and laid before them estimates OF tho
probable revenue and expenses of the city for
the ensuing year, and an ordinance shall ba
passed al tho last stated meeting In May OF
zach year making appropriations for the ex-
penses OF the ensuing year, based, us nearly
AS may be, upon the said estimates. and ne
appropriations shall be specified and arranged
said estimatea
Previous Councils have received on or
before the first stated meeting in May, esti-
mates OF the probable revenue and OK
penses, but the present Council has only
received estimates Of the. probable ex-
penses. The attention af Mr.. Cotton
chairman of Councils finance COM
mittee, was called to the matter this morn
ing by representative of EVERY EVENING.
lie stated that Council had received an
estimate of the probable revenue and ex
penses. He was told by the reporter that it
mad received an estimate of the probable
expense but not an estimate of the proba-
pie revenue and when he was given def
lated 'Ohln
Two weeks ago Mr.. Cotton gave notice
OF the introduction of an ordinance
making appropriations for next fiscal
year. According to section 80 and 65 of
the city. charter this ordinance should
nave had two readings, but ms yet ii has
not been introduced. Section 30 says:
No ordinance shnll be passed With
ous ane concurrence :, OF majority of all the
nave had ut least two readings at a previous
stated meeting or meetings, &c.
The ordinance making appropriations
for this fiscal year was introduced NAV
l4th, lSll, and adopted May 2Sth. For
several years past all such ordinances have
peen passed during May. Council can
hold only one more stated meeting this
mouth. A prominent lawyer was told Sat.
uruay II the neglect TO introduce an ordi-
nance making appropriations for next
fiscal year and asked whether such an
ordinance introduced and passed next
Thursday or introduced and passed subse-
luently would be valid. He was too busy
to carefully consider the matter but in ali
oiihand opinion said he believed the bro
~ oSSht1il W VI bUt Guy tUdfLer are
mandatory and he did not think Council
Could pass the ordinance even under a
suspension of rules
MIR. Cotton said the city charter has been
amended so often that il requires a LAWYER
to keep up with the amendments. lie
declared section 65 has been amended and
glanced in two books in search of the
amendments, but he could not find them.
I'VE cannot make an estimate of the an
propriation,n he asserted, before June
l3th, and then he pointed to section 81 Of
the city charter, which refers to the assess
ments being laid before Council on or be-
lore June list, so that it can determine the
whole amount of money necessary to be
raised for the use of the city by taxation
during the year, &c. The section says:
The assessors shall, under tho SINNER
vision OF tho Ponrd of Assessment, Reyision
and Appeals, thereupon make out correct lists
lot each district OF the city, showing tho NUM-
per OF persons AID estates assessed on both of
me aforesaid assessments, with the whole
amount OF tax laid upon the several persons
ana estates under the foregoing provisions
ana the SAID lists on or before the fifteenth dly
Of june, be delivered to tho clerk OF the Couu-
cll, who shall Immediately write thereon the
warrants OF the Council for tho collection Of
said taxes, &c.
City Solicitor Curtis was also spoken TO-
but he had not given the matter consider.
atlon and could not express an opinion.