The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-21
THE APPROPRIATIONS
Safety Board sIeets-POssibIe Increase
I'm Tax Levy.

City Controller Johnson will shortly be
master of the most important situation at
present in the affairs of the city govern
ment-the making of the ordinance for the
appropriations for next year. The different
departments of the city government are
preparing estimates of the amount of mon
ey they will need in 1899. The Board of
Safety held meeting yesterday morning
and discussed the estimates sent in by the
fire and police departments. Nothing de-
cisive was done, but the proceedings of
the meeting are supposed to be secret,
though the Journal printed, yesterday morn
ing in general the estimates of the two
departments Park Engineer Power is also
preparing an estimate of what proper i'm
provement of the various parks will cost.
He is unable to announce what the result
of his calculations will be. He favors a
plan of setting aside a certain sum every
year for the improvement of parks.
1t is just possible that the impulsive
spirit of Councilman Little, which urges
him to attempt to raise the salaries of the
police and fire departments, provide bicycles
free to the bicycle patrolmen, and, in
short, to 'set 'em UP all around" to the
members of the two departments may be
curbed Mayor Taggart and City Controller
Johnson have decided that they are in ia
vor of Mr.. Little's ordinance raising the
policemen's and firemen's wages "if the
city has the means. They insist that it will
be impossible to know whether or not the
city will have the means until the cost of
running the city next year is determined
and compared with the income of the city.
Then. if there is something left. the two
executive officials are willing to raise sal
ar;1 H., afcs
This being the case, it is doubtful if Mr..
Titles ordinance passes, unless, of course.
the councilmen, urged on by members OF
the police and fire forces, fly in the faces
of the mayor and the city controller and
pass the ordinance anyway. This possibility
is not likely to become fact. City Con-
that the committee which has the Little
ordinance in hand will be able to see far
enough ahead not to put, the ordnance e.; pc
termined whether or not the city will have
the means to pay the increase in wages
without raising the tax levy.
Mr. Johnson does not think four police
substations will be built next year; he will
strain every faculty to prevent being forced
that if it is possible to live through next
year on the present levy it will be possible
To continue under it. He thinks this because
there viii be a reappraiSement of property
next year, which will take the citys reve-
nue. from taxation up to 100000 at least. If
ii were necessary to effect a temporary loan
next year to tide over until the tax revenues
come in, the city controller thinks it would
be better plan than to raise the tax levy.
even ii it were possible to lower it again.
The estimates for appropriations will go to
the controller to be trimmed down and ad-
justed to the amount of the income The
amount of the income cannot be determined
until the State Board of Tax Commission
ers decides the cases appealed from the
County Board of Review. If the controller
finds that after the needed increases are
made in the number of policemen and fire.
men, the needed extra engine houses built
and the needed ETC., etc. provided for, there
is anything left, he may come around to
Mr.. Littles ideas. Until that time, it seems
now the counciltnen who favor the Little
ordinance will either refrain from acting on
it or will find themselves bucking against
the mayor and the controller.