The Indianapolis journal., 1893-11-09
BOARDS MUST PRUNE
Appropriations Over 100000 in
Excess of Probable Receipts.
Board of Works Considers the Water
System and Orders Two More Sewers
The Police Surgeon.

The law requires the city treasurer to
make his settlement with the city of the
clty's share OF the November instaIlment
Of taxes on Nov. 6. but Nov 8 has gone and
no settlement was made. This is not the
fault of the treasurer, however; rather, 1t
is the fault of the taxpayers, who wait
until the last day TO pay the sums they
owe the county and city in the shape of
taxes. Mr.. Holt has notified the controller
that he can draw against $4,000 more If he
chooses. 1t is quite probable that the esti-
mates of the city's share will be about
$4,000 in excess of the actual receipts.
The controller IS determined to hold the
different departments down TO the lowest
notch i'm eXpendi .ures, else the city will be
far behind at the end of the year. The
estimates furnished the controller by the
boards during the Sullivan regime of the
expenditures for the coming year are over
100000 in excess of the probable receipts,
and it cannot be readily seen how the old
boards dared to ask for the appropriations
made by the Council, in view of the esti-
mated receipts. Tc keep within the re-
ceipts the new boards will have TO keep
expenses down to at least half of the ap-
preparations. Controller Truser yesterday
emphasized this fact to the several heads
Wildman, of the Board of Works, was
shown that it would be necessary for his
board to be very economical, and not to
incur Indebtedness on the strength of the
appropriation for the department.
The estimated receipts in Mr. Woollen's
report to the Council amounted TO $S76, $40. So
but this Included S2l, 900 in bonds that are
not yet sold and the $Sl 500 tied up in Fren-
Eel pank The money in the bank Will
not be available the present year, even
II the courts decide in favor of the city in
the Collin q Stanton suit. 1t remains to
be seen whether the So, 900 in bonds can
be sold. This would leave the estimated
receipts forethe fiscal year $4,000 short, or
$S24, 1866. The estimated expenses for the
city, as submitted by Mr. Woollen, amount
pration for this amount he recommended
that the Council make appropriations of
the batances standing unexpended in the
different funds at the end of the year.
That is. where the city did not spend all
OF an appropriation in the year ending Aug.
81, 1885, ne asked that. the sum represented
These balances reappropriated amounted to
$47OS4.S. This sum- of course, was not
actual cash, but merely represented a sum
against which the city could draw, and it's
reapprOpriation meant that the different de-
partments were given the privilege to ex-
pend Just that much more money the year
following. Thus the appropriations made by
the Council were increased TO $97S,3l63S as
the old balances amounted to $10i.473.27 De-
Quoting fhe estimated receipts, without the
Sellers farm bonds and the money tied up
in bank, there would be an excess of $148,-
419.4 of appropriations over receipts. This
excess is almost $4,000 more than the actual
excess of appropriations at the close of the
last fiscal year. A good reason there for
economy.
If the boards draw warrants that the
controller cannot legally refuse to
approve, and these warrants run
close ,<up to the sums appropriated,
the Sty's finances will be in even
more deplorable state than they were
when the Sullivan crowd turned over the
city to the Republicans. The boards have
the legal authority to draw TO the limit of
the amounts appropriated, but if they do
the responsibility for mismar agement will
| rest directly on them. The city must con-
| fine its expenses TO the most necessary ones