Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-09-27
GRAND RAPIDS HERALD WEDNESDAY MORNING sFPTEMBER m


eunmon coancil held q the 18th day 4
SeptembeE instant. Tor the reason thai
tAs aa,osnt u monsy ALREADY raised AL
Ia ths fand which can be lawfully Do
Foted % ths Ferpo>s q paying tor tbs
confract = only sl3.70o. ubiie the
anounl u the eontrsct l. Ell. $40, leas.
ing ahoat 1900 anpFovided for. and
which. By tie tsFEas Il The eoatTsct
aust To paid before the taxes for
anothef year can be collected. and the
oondsslon u tie various funds u The
city = such 900. add Eill 10 such dur
ing the present year. that | can 80 no
posxibis say q paying Tor this uDfof.
seen snd uBprosidsd foE amount
May q The funds q the city Tor
nuuhsr n years have been almost eon
.inually osercrasn. or the amount 40
propfiafed u TIE fcrd anticipates aud
expended q great extsDt before 10 las
eoiiecte,i. - that We acre constantly
behlLd. add yet the amount put tate
tax rolls has been nearly up 10 tho
hGit allczed ~ the charter, and. With
tas eosstant growth q the city and
col-sequent corresponding increase ia
exp~as<s II lhis state 81 affairs should
continue u would sooa be Impossible Ia
pay tke Ordinary demands 1pop he city
froUs The proceeds II ell tie taxes We
could raxss. unless the values Of real
estate should 10 materially Increased.
Ii has teen my constant policy that
a 10 state % .fairs the deficit IN the
H. 1dsl should not increase. but. II pos
sible. be diminished. and IL 10
Just such contracts as this that
II one cause % our situation.
namely. agreeing 10 pay syeral thousand
dollars more than We have 81 hand or
know where IL Is coming from. aud II
should execute this contract would be
going back on all my previous record.
The charter provides that the common
eouncil may raise annually. by TAXATION.
such sums a. they may deem necessary.
not exceeding one and one halt per cent
on the valuation Of the property. not in
Guiding money raised Tor paying the
principal or interest upon the bonded
indebtedness. IL further provides that
on cr before the last Saturday ia June
each year. the council shall determine
10y resolution the amount necessary 10
be raised FOR the ensuing year And il
further provides that il shall not be law
full for the common council. except az
otherwise provided. 10 borrow moaey or
authorize the creation II any liability or
indebtedness against the city in any one
year exceeding in the aggregate the
amount which may be raised hy tax for
such year; and. II the common council
shall borrow any money or enter into
any contract or contracts Tor the pay.
meat % money. binding upon the city.
tho same shall be paid out III the
sums raised by tax for such year. which
clearly indicates that all ordinary ex.
pcnditures for the Year must be pro-
vided Tor in the annual budget; and. 10
guard against any unforeseen contingen-
cies, a certain amount Is placed in what
IL called the Contingent Fund" but
the building Of bridge is neither a gen.
eral expense nor contingent expense.
and no money beyond the amount al.
ready raised has been appropriated for
this purpose. and hence cannot be law
fully used.
Again. in making up the annual
budget this year. we lacked less than
hundred dollars Of reaching the limit Of
taxation. and when the charter says
that il shall not be lawful for the con-
mon council 10 borrow money. or au.
thorize the creation OF liability against
the city in any one year exceeding In
the aggregate the amount which. by
this act. may be raised by tar for such
year. believe this proposed contract
would come within such provision
and be illegal. After we have
made up the budget Of the amount
OF money necessary to be raised for the
ensuing year. the opening OF an entirely
new channel OF expenditure within the
year seems 10 me 10 be repugnant TO the
spirit and letter Of the charter.
regret exceedingly 10 stop any CON
tract that would furnish employment TO
labor at this time. though | suppose
that the amount OF labor that would be
expended on this contract would be ex-
eeedingly small compared with the
amount OF the contract. and IL would
also seem 20 me To be poor policy 10 I'M
dertaks work which requires masonry
and cement az time Of the year when
freezing weather il liable TO spoil the
work at any time. but this consideration
would not have any weight il the funds
were forthcoming 10 pay as we go.
Respectfully Submitted.
WILLIAM j. STUART.
Mayor.