The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-26
COUNCILS HANDS TIED.
Cannot Appropriate Money From
ANY Fund for Schools.


81 notice" said enc of the members of
the city council last evening. that the
school board realizes that is has
$780, coo less than is necessary to carry out
its contracts, actual and implied. made
with it's employees and requests the coun-
ell to set apart from any fund available
Sill, 900 in order that it's plans and con-
tracts may be effectively carried out
I'm the first place, it appears to me
from what consideration | have given the
charter provisions that the school board
cannot make any contracts whatever I'M
til after the council has by ordinance set
apart what the school expenditure for
the year shall be. The council has, after
stretching the figures, passed an ordi-
nance giving the school board 1000 for
1.-The school year ending June 80. 1900.
In the face of this ordinance the school
board went ahead on the supposition that
the additional one and half mill levy
would be declared valid and arranged
for an expenditure of 1882, 600 during the
year.
1.-The supreme court declared the ad-
dtional levy unconstitutional, and now
finding that there will be a, shortage on
the schedule adopted the board desires
to appeal to the council for additional
funds. In my opinion the council can
do nothing more than it has In the mat
from the general or any other fund is
strictly out of the question, for the coun-
ell has already given the board the full
amount it can legally appropriate with
out the members rendering themselves
liable to Imprisonment in the county Jail
for period Of six months each
Let me read you a law as found on
page 294 of the charter:
And said board Of inspectors shall have
no power or authority to create any In
debtedness against the city of ST. Paul,
or to pledge the faith and credit of the
city in any respect whatever, until after
the common council or legislative depart
ment Of the city government has, by or
dinance, ordained what the expenditures
for school purposes in said city for the
school year shall be- and then only to
the extent of the amount so set apart by
| ordinance for school purposes for such
year; and in no year shall the aggregate
amount set apart exceed an amount
greater than two and half mills on a
dollar of the property assessed for taxa
ton in said city for such year, and any,
violation of this provision shall be mis-
defneanor, and, upon conviction, any
party violating the same shall be pun
ishsd by Imprisonment in the county Jail
for six months
1T will be well understood by everyone
that the particular reason for the passage
of the school law under which the city
is now operating was to prevent the
school board from creating any indebted
| ness except that ordered by the coun-
ell. And to make sure that the members
of the council should not for any per-
| sonal reasons allow the school board to
expend any great amount of money the
law was fixed so that the total amount
should not exceed in any one year two
| and a half mills on dollar Of the as
sessed valuation for that year
1.-THE council, in the ordinance passed
| in July last, allows the school board an
amount which was equal to two. and a
| half mills on the. assessed yalua ton, and
| it is impossible to appropriate any
| greater sum than has been named in
| the ordinance. When the assessed val
uation of the city was $l26,O0O0O0, the
| two and a. half mills on the dollar gave
an amount thtch was more than neces-
! sary for school purposes. When the val
| uation was reduced about $50 900, 900, in
round figures and the levy figure not
! changed, the total amount which could
| be appropriated was reduced about $105
| 900 annually.
| s"Of course, it is very embarrassing
| position that the board of education
| finds itself in. but under the law there is
! no way for the council to appropriate any
more money. The only way out Of the
| difficulty is for the board Of education
to cut it's garments to fit the cloth, or,
| In other words, to reduce its expenses so
as to come within the amount allowed
! by the council for the school year.