The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-31
WILL DECIDE FATE OF BUDGET.
MAYOR mELDRIM WILL VETO 1T IF
CITY'S REVENUE IS EXCEEDED.

An Estimate of Next Years Receipts
VIII Re Submitted To-day for
ComphrisOn-The Mayor Says APP
prOpriatIOns of Departments VIII
BE Revised, If 1t Is Necessary, to
Keep Expenditures Below Re-
ccipts-The Incoming Board VIII
Find Itself in Good Financial Con-
clifton.
Mayor Meldrim viii decide this morning
whether he win sign or veto the tax or
dinance passed at the last meeting Of the
City Council. He win confer with Alder
man Thomas. chairman of the finance
committee, who viii have an estimated ac-
count of the revenue it is expected to COL
lect next year. The result of this COM
parison VIII decide the fate of the budget.
In discussing the appropriations yester-
day Mayor Meldrim minated that he
would veto the ordinance If the amount to
be expended exceeds the estimated reven-
tie. He said he did not know what the
amount the city will receive next year
but if it calls for a reduction in expendl-
lures, pass VIII be made at the depart
meuts that can stand it best
What Council proposes 10 do is TO leave
the financial condition of the city so as
not to embauass the coming board in any
way Mayor Meldrim said. 1--WE claim we
are doing this In the first place the city
has an asset from which il can derive $3.50 =
600 in cash at any time, and which the
present board could have collected had it
al l., hIxr
made by New York brokers is the hand
soonest the city has yet received for the
! ground rents, and if Council had needed
| large sum, il could have been easily OBJ
! tanned from this source. AS was stated at
! the time, however, ample provision has
/ been made for all the departments next
| year, and we do not feel called upon TO
| raise money from the ground rents.
THE fact we have determined to turn
over the keys of the city without embar-
RAISING the incoming board with a pile OF
/ debts, does not indicate that Council has
! run short of funds" he continued ITO
| illustrate this a business man might defer
! paying his creditors until the first of the
| year, in which event he could show UP
| a large cash account the last of December
! In the same way Coun> Z might put off al
city creditors, allowing them to be paid
by the incoming board, in which event
we could boast of a big cash account on
! turning over the city government. As
| have stated however, the policy is to pay
/ all claims that are due, which will not
| leave any cash for the next board, but
will let them enter upon their work free
from the worry a lot of debts would en-
! tail"
Referring to the change city affairs viii
take on after the election Mayor Meldrin
said his successor viii have more respon-
sibi.ity for the reason that he will bt
clothed with more powers. Those depart
ments which were under the commissions
he said, would be directly under the
Mayor and for this reason the opportunity
to direct the operations of the city vii
be almost entirely in his hands. Such has
not been the case during the past two
years, which he gave as the reason fol
not making many contemplated changes
Alderman Thomas called attention yes
terday to the claim that the city's ex
penditures were not increasing as large
~ as the figures in the budget might indi.
cate. In view of the fact there is about
$7l 600 deferred payments contained in mex
years budget" he said, sit seems the act
ual operating expenses are decreased, i
anything. l have made the calculation
and find This amount has been set aside
for the payment of debts formerly con
tracted In considering the amount i
takes TO run the city government mex
year, therefore, this amount should be de
Quoted"
The result of the conference to decid,
whether the budget is to be vetoed will D,
OF interest The departments whose ap
preparations have been cut are alread,
complaining, but if Mayor Meldrim decide.
q veto the ordinance, which will meat
further reductions, they will have ever
more reason for taking the positions the,
do against the cuts.