Delaware gazette and state journal., 1900-01-25
THE FINANCES OF TIE CITY
A Movement to Increase the
City's General Fund

A Movement to Increase the
City's General Fund
BY ADDING TO 1T SOME MONEYS
Handled by the Street and
Sewer Directors.
Councilmen Are OF the Opinion That Wharf
Rents, Pole Tax aud Market Fees should
be peposited 10 the Credit of CITY Coun-
oils Current Expense Fund.
City Treasurer Hamann will be noti-
fed by City Council, in day or 50,
provided that Councilmen feel legally
warranted in taking tho stop. directing
him to deEosit in the future all
moneys received from wharf ronts, pole
tax and market fees to the credit of
tho current expense fund Of Council In
stead of to the credit of the Street and
Sewer Department, which body now re-
cnives it. The annual revenue from
these sources is said to amount To
several thousand dollars and some of
the Councilmen believe the money
should go into the general city fund,
holding that the law governing the
Street and Sewer Department does not
entitle it to become the beneficiary.
The opinions of people versed on the
subject differ. Tie act creating the
Street and Sewer Department, which
was passed by the General Assembly
April goth, 1887, provided that on and
after July LIST of that year "The Mayor
and Council Of Wilmington v
is hereby authorized through the
agency OF a Board of Directors of u
Street and Sewer Department, hereby
created, constituted and appointed,
to have entire jurisdiction
and control within the limits of said
city of the streets, squares, lanes, roads
or alleys thereof, said jurisdiction to
extend from building line to building
| line, and the entire Jurisdiction and
control within the limits of said city
| of the drainage thereof, and
further, shall II y have the same
rights and powers and be vested with
the same authority over the said
streets, squares, lanes, roads, alleys,
cutters, drains, sewers, natural water
courses, runs and rivulets within the
limits Of said CITY, as are now held and
exercised by The Council of the said
city of Wilmington. under the charter,
laws, ordinances and regulations apper-
tainIng to or in any manner made for
the government of said city. y
In carrying out and effectipg the pur-
noses and objects in this act, the said
Board of Directors shall stand in the
same position rs is now occupied by
The Council, and shall, after the said
first day Of July. A. D., 1887, so far as
the purposes and objects of this act are
ooncerned, be substituted for The Coun'
Gil aforesaid, with the game rights,
powers. privileges and authority ns
were before the passage of this act by
any means whatsoever vested in The
Council aforesaid. q * y The ordi
nanoes, rules and regulations of sale
city now IN force relating to sait
streets, squares, lanes, roads, alleys
cutters. drains, sewers, natural watel
courses, runs and rivulets, shall con
tinue in force until the same ar,
changed in whole or part by said Boart
of Directors Of said department.
No mention is made In. the act o
wharf rents, market fees or pole tax
and some of the Councilmen believe |
,, was not intended that the money from
! those sources should go to the depart
ment. Those who take the opposition
view support their contention by citini
that portion Of the act giving the de
, partment exclusive control of th
, streets, waterways, &c. The court
may be called upon to decide thi
, point. Theirs is one thing certain
} however, Council wants the money an,
will get 1t If it is legally entitled to re
ceive it.
Concerning wharves owned by tn
city, Council, on February 9th, 1871
long before the Street and Sewer De
raItment was created, PASSED an ordi
nance providing that Councils com
mittee on public buildings should leas
the wharves for three-year terms, tn
, leases to be disposed of at publ
! auction on the first Monday in Marc
: Of each year, the leases of the severa
! wharves expiring at different times
:. Walnut street wharf was leased in 1S7
J to the p, W. & B. Railroad Co. for A
J years. The other city wharves hav
been leased from time to time, as th
, leases expired. The city charter Ere
vides that Tho Council is thereby dt
clared to have, and shall have, authorit
in their discretion, to let or demise fc
o any terms of years not exceeding il
= and subject to such rents and reservt
tions as they may deem expedient, th
& landings at the ends of streets term
p pating upon the Brandywine y
z i or Christiana. The lease to the p.
: W. & B. Railroad Go. was the result {
i a special act of the General Assembly
n A foot note in the book of ordinance
gives the information that wharves oil
y now leased by the Street and Sewe
Q Department. For several years the dt
!, rartment has looked after the matte
Il and received the revenue.
g Tho market and pole tax matters hay
# also been taken in hand by the depart
II ment and the revenue thereform ht
i been diverted from the current expens
d fund of the city to the department
!, treasury. Telegraph, telephone an
o electric light poles are taxed nt th
* rate of 81 year for each pole.
o II Council succeeds in carrying i
d point in these matters it is expscte
IT that it will receive considerable sui
before the end Of the present tisc'
% year.
70 Pupctual Engineers.
s. Surerintendent Barnard of the p