Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-10-12
SHALL We INCORPORATE?
Good Reasons Why Wi11mar
Should Become City

AS it is getting we'll along towards
the 10Th, when the citizens of Willmar
must decide whether to be or not to be
city, few words explanatory may
not be out of order.
Willmar is now in the same fix as
the boy in the leather breeches, who
ontgrew them before he got new
pair, and became encased in them so
that he could neither move nor act.
The embry otto village of couple of
hundred of inhabitants was incorpor-
| ated under Il special charter in 1874.
whitman Of to-day, with over 5000 in
habltants, water works and electric
light plant, sewers, and miles OF
graded streets and sidewalks, the
leading city west of the twin cities in
this section IF the state, is still under
the same Cd charter, plus q few
patches OF amendments permitting the
erection of the water works and elec-
trio light plant. The simple remem-
brance OF this fact ought to be enough
to convince anyone that incorporation
under the general law for cities of
this size is absolutely necessary be-
fore long in any event. But the more
immediate occasion for bringing the
question before the voters and tax
payers of the village at this time is
to enable the council to bond the float
ing debt OF the village at a lower rate
of interest.
We have a floating Indebtedness
now of over $4,000. This debt is not,
as l have heard it expressed, con-
tracted on account of street grading.
[ have not the exact figures, but
dare say that if the proceeds of the 3
mill street tax be figured up for the
last four years it will pretty we'll cover
all the outlay that has been put on
the streets during the last four years,
during which time this floating debt
has been incurred. Our floating in
debtedness represents the cost of the
electric plant, about $4,000; new
wells, about So, 500; John Robbins law
suit, ST, 200; and the accumulated in
terest on this debt, between 81, 900 and
SIS, 900. We are now paying per cent
on this floating Indebtedness. This is
altogether too high a rate, but under
our charter we cannot, as I under
stand it, issue bonds, while if we in
corporate we can. It is believed that
If we incorporate we could float bonds
at per cent, which would be saving
of 5000 per annum interest charges on
our floating debt Some step has got
to be taken as soon as possible to
fund the debt at the lowest possible
rate of interest, and as Willmar will
have to incorporate before long for
other reasons the council felt it it's
duty to bring the question up now for
the voters to decide.
Some of the other reasons for incor-
poration under the general law not so
urgent as the debt funding question
are:
l. Redistricting of the wards of the
village. I presume that could be
done by amendment to our old char
ter if our senator and representative
should be willing. But I think the
voters of Willmar had better attend
to that themselves under the general
law.
2. I understand the Robbins law
suit and the supreme court decision
thereon virtually prohibits the village
of Willmar from letting water run off
the streets onto any private property;
that under this decision, while under
the old charter, the village of Will
mar may be compelled to spend sever
al thousands OF dollars to take care
Of it's water south of town or stand ex-
pensive law suits.
3. The village must have a brake
on it's aldermen in the matter of ex-
penses. Under our present charter
the village COUNCIL can go on and
expend money without limit and the
village will have to pay it. Under a
city government the aldermen will be
personally liable if they spend more
money than the tax levy for the pur-
pose.
1. The municipality Of Willmar is
now an Industrial manufacturing con-
Germ. 1t produces and sells water and
light. It does a business of from
SIS, 900 to S25, 900 year. It buys raw
material, it maintains an expensive
plant of machinery, it hires skilled
labor to operate it. Now this requires
business management. Candor to the
public compels me to say that our
plant has not been operated on bust
ness principles SO far. The plant
should have it's own ledger account
and both the village and private par
ties pay fair rates for water and light