The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-05

member. FIRST an ordinance vas passed
-z9pr0prisflng Moneys &c be expended bv
the several departments and officers OF the
city OF Seattle. With the consent OF the
city council. during the fiscal year con-
E1enelng January /. lses. and ending De
eember q. ISIS and limiting the expsRdi-
lures % such departments and officers dur
ing the fzcaI year"
TIE next ordinance fixed the levy for the
new year II vas that ordinance which
did not get &ayIu's support. lie made
twenty minute argument against f. The
argument was regarded good one. but
wgs punctursS with single tax ideas. In
substance. his point was this. The re-
ceipts Of the water department are over
sipl9s annually The running expenses
are not SO 6e0 The levy ordinances pro-
vsdeS for the appropriation OF the surplus
/ WaEer receipts 70 meet water bond and 9TH
- fnferes; and for other general purposes.
Navin said TIA; ne desired the Cedar river
water scheme 20 BE- advanced. and a. once.
The proper way to CO would be either 10
apply the surplus towards the payment
OF the proposed Bew plant or to make an
additional levy, which would bring into
the cIty's Golfers a sum equal 10 the
amount Ct the surplus. The money that
would be brought In BY the additional levy
he demanded should go towards the pay
ment Of the new plant He made a mo-
City Comptroller Parry was loaded with
ammunition, and in brief argument
showed that Nayin's contention was not
only poor policy, but that ii carried with il
Q direct violation Of the citys contract
with the people. The one thing which
brought about the adoption of the Cedar
river ordinance BY the people az the No
vember election In 1895 was the point made
50 often that Il did not involve one cent
or extra expense on the part Of the city
II was stated then in the press and on
the stump, as IL was stated IN the orai-
nance submitted TO the people. that the
city would not have 10 undergo an extra
tax levy that the plant would not cost the
city one cent; that even the expense Of
the preliminary work would be paid back
by the contractor who does the work:
that he would receive his pay in warrants;
that the latter would not draw interest
until the plant was paid for. and that the
debt would finally be discharged out OF
% per cent. of the receipts Of the water
department For the city council TO At
tempt to raise funds for the purpose by in
eTeasing the levy would be TO directly vio~
late the terms Of the ordinance.
MIR Nayin repeated his assertion that he
Was in favor OF going on with the work
on the new water plant. but stated that
under the present policy OF the city coun-
Gil Il would be impossible to accomplish
anything without some money. Mr.. Parry
again showed Mr.. NavIn that he was In
the wrong. This year, he said the city
has had $4,000 for preliminary work on
the new plant. and at no time has the city
engineers office been hampered because
Of no funds. On the contrary the funds
have been ample for the preliminary work.
so far as II has gone Mr.. Parry continu-
ed TO explain that the finance committee
in preparing the levy for the new year al
lowed $1,000 for future preliminary work
and for water pipe extensions. That
money, he said. would be sufficient 10 per-
mis- Of all the necessary preliminary work
SO that there need be no delay.
Mr.. Navin concluded that there were
some things in the Cedar river ordinance
with which he was not acquainted He
said he had never seen some of the pro-
visions referred To by Mr.. Parry. The
ordinance was secured and read for his
benefit. Then he attacked 1t on the ground
that no contractor would make a contract
with the city under the terms specified
After a further discussion of The matter
the levy ordinance was passed Mr. Ma
WINS motion having failed 70 secure a
second. Council then adjourned.
The Preliminary Work.
City Comptroller Parry and the finance
committee did not weep when the ordl-
nancos were passed and made ready for
tho acting mayor signature. There is no
work connected with the city hall moro
difficult than that Of fixing the tax levy
August 10 each department transmits TO
the city comptroller an estimate "of the
probable expenses % his department TO be
incurred during the calendar year. with a
detailed statement Of each object or pur-
pose Tor which expense Is 10 be incurred
with the estimated cost thereof together
with such other matters In relation 70 the
proposed expenditures as shall DC neccs-
sary Ter tho zulu Information OF the coun-
ell"
These estimates ere carefully considered
by the comptroller. and each item OF ex-
peuse compared with the same item OF the
previous year Then the comptroller
makes recommendations for the allowance
Of each item On the amount he thinks ace
essary. The finance committee takes the
estimates and passes on each Stem in de-
tail. The heads OF the departments are
summoned before the committee and ask
- TO explain Items about which there IS
any doubt. Detailed statements OF the cx-
pCnses Of :hc various departments are FUR
nished by The comptroller 20 the commit
tee. and upon this information and the best
Judgment OF the committee as 10 the ad-
dtjon2l requirements Coz Z growing City
the allowances fer the ensuing year arc
made. This ~ pat into tho form or an ap-
nToprlation ordnance and 1xes the maxi
mum expenses of the various departments
for the next fiscal year.
The comptroller also makes a careful es-
innate of tho probable condition OF the city
funds or January J after All bills and
claims for the current year are paid He
further prepares an estimate ~ probable
revenues from licenses fines. fees. delin-
Quent taxes. water collections and alt
sources other than from the taxes or The
roll for which the levy is about 20 hc n abe.
10 IS from these estimates ana statements
that the tax levy Is fixed. Before the
work is completed the finance committee
holds from twenty-five 70 thirty meetings.
The taxes provided for IN the levy be-
come duo the drst Monday In January. II
oHe-hah of them IS paid by May 81. the
other had Will not have 20 De paid until
November 81 Failure 20 pay the first half
hy Nay q makes the entire tax duo and
interest at u per cent attaches
RammaEed I'm thc - rong Room