Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-17

FOR THIS YEARS DISTRIBUTION
OF THE TEN CENT LEVY
FUND.
THE UNIMPRovED STREETS
And Alleys in the Respective Wards
20 Govern the Amount of the
Appropriations, if Mr.. Jesse SHAFT
or Plan Goes Through Council.
Re oiutions Which Were Not Of


Jess .=ilai.er for the distribution Of the
ten cent levy fund this year have been
very indefinite, an.l Mr.. Shafer is Of
opinion that a full understanding Of the
subject will commend 1T to the tax
payers generally. Heretofore the rev
enue from the ten cent levy, amount
ing to about $4,000 a year, has been
divided into eight parts, and the Coun-
cilmanic delegations from the respec-
tive wards have been permitted to die
tate the manner in which the money
shall be spent.
Mr.. Skater says this has resulted in
the Improvement of virtually all of the
streets in the heart Of the city, which
are most generally used, while the
wards of larger area have suffered. He
thinks the plan of distribution up to
this time has been wise, but believes
that the time has come when the basis
of distribution should be changed. His
plan lis to base the distribution upon
the percentage of unimproved streets
and alleys, and he has secured through
ex-CiEy Engineer Charles Cooke a COM
pilation of figures which will facilitate
the work OF apportioning the ten cent
levy in accordance with his idea.
Under the old method the Third ward
has less than two per cent of the un-
improved streets OF the city, while the
Eighth ward has 81 per cent The plan
would be to give the Third ward about
two per cent and the Eighth 81 per
cent of the fund. Under this plan the
Eighth, Seventh, Sixth and Second wards
would be benefited in the order men
tioned, while the other wards would
receive smaller appropriations hide
pendent Of any consideration of fairness
or Justice, 1t may be expected that there
will be opposition from the wards
whose appropriations are cut down, but
friends of the new scheme hope to get
it through Council at the next meeting.
The matter is now being freely discuss
ed and many arguments are being adj
Nanced upon both Sides
1t will be remembered that at the last
meeting of Council, Mr. Chew offered
resolution embodying the plan in the
First Branch for the purpose of having
ut defeated and it was voted down.
Friends of the movement say this was
due to lack of familiarity with the de-
be changes when it is again voted
upon
There are two sets of resolutions
bearing upon the subject, either or
both of which may be introduced at the
next meeting of Council They are as
follows:
hereas, The present system of using
and distributing the funds resulting from
the ten cent levy which was created for
the sole purpose of being expended in new
work, grading, sewering, curbing and paw
ing new and improved streets is such that
IL necessltates the use of said fund or a
great portion thereof, for the purposes for
Wnlch 1t was never intended, to-wit: Re
old streets, and
Whereas, There are a number of streets
IN the outlying wards that under the ar
arrangement have little or no Improvement
on them, and by reason of the present
division of said fund the center wards of
the city, in order to expend their propor-
tfonate share of said fund, have been com
PEELED to employ it in ways not intended
Dy the law. In order that said fund should
De expended In proper manner, be it
resolved, That heneeforth the fund de-
Eived from the ten cert levy Shall be dis
tributed among the different wards ac-
Cordlng TO the needs of each ward in the
line OF new work, and that said needs and
new work shall be based upon the esti-
mate OF the city engineer. which estimate
shall be submitted by him to the board of
pupHc works ON or before the - day OF
- OF each year, and that an ordi-
pance be drawn by the city solicitor car
Fylng INTO effect the purposes of this reso-
aution. and submit the same to council.
The other set of resolutions follows:
Whereas, 1t has been proven by a fair
trial OF the present way of dividing the
ten cent levy fund that such division is
unfair TO certain wards of the CITY which
are twice the size of other wards and
whereas, 1t is unlawful to spend this
fund for other than new work and il an
peardng that some wards could not under
such. law spend their usual proportion
legally; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the said ten cent levy
1und be divided in future according to the
percentage of unpaved streets in each
ward, as shown by the compilation of the
city engineer