The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-04-12
MANKATo FREE PRESS
THE MAYORS MESSAGE.
The Chief Executive Briefly Reviews
the Work of the Past
Two Years
And Gives Some Suggestions as TO
What Should be Done by the
New Council
Strict Economy i'm All Branches Ought
to be PraCtiCed.
The Fair Name of the City to be
Protected.
Strict Economy in All Branches Ought
to be PraCticed.
The Fair Name of the City to be
Protected.


tions were necessarily limited fol-
want of information relative to the
duties of city officials and city re-
Quirements. | am now reasonably
familiar with them and you will beal
with me | trust if this communication
is somewhat lengthy.
AS you are perhaps aware-the char
ter makes it the duty of the mayor
to give to the common council from
time to time such information as he
NAV possess accompanied by recon-,
mendations which he may think bene-
fetal. Five of you are new members
and it will necessarily require quite a
time for you to familarze yourselves
with council routine work.
You can best acquire this by care
full study of the charter which you
will find restricting, contradictory,
and very unsatisfactory, but we are
compelled to work under it and make
the best of it.
l have been honored by the nOmina-
tion by both Republicans and Demo
Gratis. An honor seldom realized or
hoped for in a city of this size, and
in beginning this my second term, 1T
is my desire to call your attention to
the matters that in my Judgment need
attention, and to others that merit
special mention 1t is clearly evident
that people are becoming emancipat-
ed from political bias in judging Off
cial acts. They expect and we should
require public servants to do their
full duty without party prejudice.
1t is far more important to the tax
payers that business should be trans
acted promptly and honestly by Off
ciaiS-that men employed by the city
in all departments render reasonable
hours of service than that they belong
to any particular party.
| therefore urge upon you that you
forget all questions of craftsmanship
and legislate for the whole city with
out regard to section or faction.
This principal am ready to follow as
am cOunseling you to do.
This city appears to me to be no
political hosiery but a purely BUSH
ness institution. 1t collects and eX-
ponds annually nearly one hundred
thousand dollars which belong solely
to the people. They are the institu-
tiOn-we simply act as agents.
The council just gone out of eXiS-
tence is blamed for heavy eXpendi-
lures necessarily as people generally
think, causing a large floating indebt-
edneSS which | will call your atten-
tiOn to later. The work that council
completed was nearly an absolute
necessity especially the sewer and
water extensions.
Sewers cost the past season. .S13, 9S6. 62
Proportion the city was to
pay .,...,........... o,oOo.ol
$1O,479. 80
Leaving the balance to be returned
to the city as special assessment. OF
this amount nearly $4,000 remains I'M
paid, but will eventually be paid.
Water extensions including purchase
of pipe and hydrants $2,992.03. Il his
was paid by the city but is an invest
ment as we get cents per lineal
foot per year.
Street pay roll last year S5,7S5 95,
which includes all work upon streets
and alleys except expended upon:
Silver raVine. ................ S 500. 90
CulvertS and sidewalks. ...... 2,5l2 %
My attention has been called to our
financial situation. Owing to a
general misunderstanding | think of
the word current, which means now
passing or present in it's progress, the
impression seems to prevail that there
is large Indebtedness unprovided for,
which would be the case if it were
true that the annual tax levy hereto
fore made by the council about Sep
TENDER each year was for the prOvid-
ing of funds for the city expenses for
the fiscal year beginning on the fol-
lowing April.
A careful examination makes mani
fest to me the fact that the annual
levy made in the fall of each year is
for funds for current expenses of the
fiscal year beginning on the 1St day
of April prior to the time of each levy
and the consequent showing is that
there is no deficiency and no debts
unprovided for. l append extrarts
from the city charter bearing upon
this question::
l. Chap. 3, Sec. 4, p. 365,
'City recorder shall, on or about
the lst day of April, report to com
the city and likewise the revenue
necessary to be raised for the current
year. The fiscal year shall commence
the 1st day of April"
2. General laws provide that asses
June each year and return roll to city
recorder.
3. Chap. 3, Sec. s, p. 1893, City Char
ter.
Immediately after roll is returned
to city recorder, and not later than
the 4th Monday in June, common
council meet as d board of review"
A. Chap. B, Sec. s, p. 1893, Ctly Char
ter.
after such review and got later
than 81 Monday in Ju 4, l>,eS>or
shall return list to county / ur
6. Chap. 5, Sec. /, p 408, Char
ter
Common council shall have power
to levy taxes to provide fof current
expenses If city government, ana or
all purposes authorized by rs"
g. No order shall be is>u q upnn
treasurer exceeding the aiiiouat !
tax collected or in process CO
tion.
g. Common council si.1 t,ave
power toleyy taxes TO pay I'D atas
in any year and the interes oOnds