The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-24
COST OF PUBLIC PARKS
ESTIMATES FOR NEXT YEAR SUB
MITTED TO CITY CONTROLLER.
City Attorneys Decision for Benefit
of Park Board-SpeciaI Meeting
MISREPRESENTATION Affairs.

The Park Board held a special meeting
yesterday and prepared the stimate for
next years expenditures and also an opin-
ion on the use of the park funds which
were sent to City Controller Johnson. The
board set out the section of the park law
ard street car franchise, which provides for
the use of the $50. 900 paid by the street
railway company to the city for the ex-
elusive use of the park board. The board
says the wording of the law is very plain.
in which it states that all moneys realized
by the board from the sale of privileges.
buildings. improvements, or from any
source-and this includes the street-railway
company's annual PAYMENTS TO go to
the Park Boards special fund. In a de-
cision given by the city attorney to the
Park Board, he says:
1.-THE only difference between your depart
ment and other departments of the city is.
that certain moneys collected by you can
be re-expended without first getting an APP
preparation therefor by the Common Coun-
ell. 1t is provided in Paragraph s, Section
9, that all moneys realized by your board
from the sale of buildings, etc, shall be
deposited with the city treasurer, to the
credit of your department, and be devoted
to the improvement of parks"
The city attorney further held that these
moneys are by statute expressly set apart
to the use of your department. and when
paid into the city treasury they consti-
tute a special fund for the use of your de-
partment, and do not have to be re-appro-
priated by the Common Council to your
department. but can be expended in the
regular way without such appropriation.
The Park Board set out in another opinion
furnished by the city attorney that all the
balances not expended, except the street.
car money. would lapse and go back into
the general funds of the treasury. The
Park Board holds that the street-railway
money is paid TO the city for the exclusive
use of the department of public parks, and
is paid in installments. This is a special
fund, annot revert to the general fund
If not used and the Park Board can use ii
as it sees proper The board does not have
To expend this money until Ii is ready to do
so. The board holds that this money cam
not be apportioned to the different appro-
priations, nor offset against the appropria-
tons made by the Council, Cor the Council
has nothing to do with this street-car
money. The board contends that the street.
car fund is a special fund for the parks
credit. City Controller Johnson says that
hereafter he will not include the $4,000 a
year in the appropriations for the Park
| BOARD as he has done before.
The Park Board also sent its recon-
mendations to the city. controller for the
appropriations for next year. The boards
estimates show that S237. 405, exclusive of
the street-railway money and receipts from
privileges, will be needed for parks next
year. This year the appropriation was
So. GOO. City Controller Johnson intimates
that the estimates will have to be greatly
reduced. The Park Board contemplates
many improvements in the parks next year,
and the figures are as follows: Office ex-
penditures, $3.50; Garfield Park. improve
ments $4,000, maintenance S12, $50: Military
Park, maintenance 1920; University
Square. improvements 1000, maintenance
$1.540: ST. Clair Square and Fort Wayne
triangle, maintenance 81, $50; Hendricks.
Fletcher and Oriole, improvements $500,
maintenance $3.50; Fletcher place and East
Eleventh-street centers. maintenance S21,-
40: Greenlawn, Improvements $1,000, MAIN
tenance $3.245: Morton Place. maintenance
$3.50; Morris Park. improvements $500, main
tenance 500: McCarty Place, maintenance
$3.50; Brookside, improvements $4,000. main
tenance $4,000; Riverside. Improvement
s124, 900. maintenance s29, 900; Indianola
Square, maintenance $500; Highland
Square. improvements $4,000, maintenance
S2,200: Spades Place and Elmwood. improve
ments $500. maintenance 81, 500; total i'm
provements $751;, 400, total maintenance ST.
Az