The age-herald., 1901-04-04
MAYOR DRENNEN'S
 ANNUAL MESSAGE

meeting of the city council
 To the Board of Mayor and Aldermen;
 Since my last annual report the city has shown steady and rapid growth. bring ing with it demands on the part of the citizens for cleaner and better streets, better fire facilities, more perfect sani- tation and increased school facilities. financial.
 The carefully prepared reports Of the financial operations of the city by the city auditor and the city treasurer will call to your attention the fact that our income from all sources during the year 1900 was sS4S,S1S as against s2Sl,6 in lSSs' being an increase in income of S61,626'
 The departmental expenses during the year were s256929, against S26S, ZSlS Sl ln 1899, being an increase of only $S,64S In departmental expenses.
 Taking Into consideration the vast amount of work performed by he various departments during the year 1900 over the year 1889, 1t will be readily seen that every possible economy has been exercised in the operation of the various departments The increase of departmental expenses above referred to Is largely accounted for by the fact that the city was put to an expense of over $500 In establishing
 
 South Highlands.
 A further drain upon our resources, and with which our administration was sad died, has been the expense incident to the operation of the Steiner plan, which has aggregated $55, ,034S9 In the last 1vc years, made up Of the following items: Interest paid upon deferred coupons, $3G, 484.S9; commission and interest paid to Steiner Brothers for making contracts with coupon holders, $16,050; commission for negotiating sale of $269,000 of funding bonds and exchanging the same for de- ferred coupons, $2,500.
 The assessed valuation of property within the city limits for the year 1900 was $16, 420S16, an increase of $1, ,S9936S over the previous year.
 The privilege taxes also show a marked increase in the year 1900 over those of the year 1899, $134, 9327 having been collected | from said source during the year 1900, as 1 against $107, ,314.73 collected during the pre- vious year.
 Your attention is further called to the | fact that If the reduction of the street tax from 8 to s2 had not been made the | increase of receipts would still have been | larger.
 The deficit for the year 1900 was $22. | 344.72, which compares during the four | previous years as follows. For the year 1899, M5,S1S.6O; for the year 1S9S 60,909 Si: for the year 1897. s67, ,S93.31, and for the year 1S96 s43, ,614.39.
 The Steiner plan to which referred in | my previous annual report matured on | August 13, 1900, on which date the &C., | cumulation of deferred coupons for the | five years of said plan aggregated $269, ,370. | The option rested with the city as to | the payment of these accumulated cou- | pons in cash or in 30-year per cent | bonds. An effort was made by commit | tee of the board to sell an issue of $269,- | GOO of bonds, as authorized by legislative | act, but as the country at the time was convulsed in the throb of a Presidential l election it became impossible to interest capitalists in this proposed issue, and as an alternative the bonds were issued in exchange for the deferred coupons as pre- scented.
 A review of the treasurer's report shows | that on July we redeemed $5000 of per cent bonds; that on October l. 1000 of per cent bonds were refunded at per | cent and that we have arranged for the refunding of $2O0O0 of I per cent bonds on July l. with bonds bearing a rate of D l per cent.
 The result of these negotiations will save to the city $1G50 on our annual inter | est account.
 Educational.
 Realizing that our school buildings were | insufficient to accommodate the rapid in- crease of our scholastic population, l rec commended to you one year ago the erec- tion of four additional buildings.
 My view of this matter is sustained by the report of the superintendent of our public schools, which shows that only 52 per cent of the white and 29 per cent of | the colored scholastic population are en- rolled as attending school.
 am highly gratifed that concurring in | this recommendation to the extent Of three buildings, you have appropriated $50. 900 for that purpose.
 These buildings have been definitely To- cated in the following sections of the city, and will cost when completed, as follows:
 Rolling mill district ...... ....$1b,OW
 Lake View ..... ......... ..... l5.OOO Jone Sville ...... ........... 20,OOU
 The board of education have under con- sideration plans and specifications sub mitted by local architects, and feel safe in saying that by the time fixed for the | beginning of the fall term. we will have school facilities ample for and accessible to all
 During the past year there has been paid over to the board of education on ac- count of school buildings( repairs and maintainence), $267. as against $3375 the year before; and on account of salaries superintendent, principals and teachers), $27, 500, as against 4,366 in 1899. The total cost of our school system was, therefore. s9974 below the cost of the preceding year.
 Engineering Department.
 The report of the city engineer submit ted to this board is so complete in every detail that I ask your careful considera- tion of it.
 This report shows that the cost of work completed during 1900 was s76,576, as com pared with $36 409 in 1899 or an increase of over 110 per cent and that the total esti- mated cost of work for 1900, including that completed, under contract and con- struction and authorized but not con- | tracted for amounts to $522 2.246 of this amount $283 .096 has been authorized but | not contracted for.
 A great many improvements in addition to the foregoing have been petitioned for by property owners and the ordinances and estimates are being prepared. With the amendments recently enacted | into laws by our General Assembly, | whereby improvements can be pushed along much more rapidly and with less expense, both to the property owner and the city, l expect to see by the end of the present year improvements completed and authorized amounting to not less than three quarters of million dollars.
 This report also shows that the lineal feet of side walk curbing set during the year 1900 amounted to nearly one quarter of the total of all previous years.
 The paving of south Twentieth street and Second avenue with vitrified brick | met with such general public approval | that you have wisely entered into con- | tract for paving ten blocks on Eleventh | avenue, South, and 1t is to be hoped that