The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-02-18
Some of The City's Finances.

1t will doubtless be considered wiscst
by some to refrain for the present from
further remarks on the muddy streets
and the proposed bond issue, but there
is hardly q thinking man or ar in
| the city who does not realize that
something should be done to better
| present conditions and to prevent q re-
| currcnce of another such ordeal. 1t ia
| & subject of conversation every hour Of
| the day in all parts of the city. 1t il
| fully agreed that something should be
done. but a sufficient number of our
freehOlders have not agreed upon a
definite plan.
The lntclllgenccr thinks it an Oppor-
tune time to %acquaint the people with
Il few items Of the city.'s income and
expenditure, 80 that q better under
standing can be had as to what is ncces-
saly in order for the Council To have
done work Of n permanent character.
There is no special 'strcct fund" as
some have been led to suppose, but
there is Il current expense fund out
Of which work on the streets and ma
terinl for the streets is paid. This fund
is independent Of all other funds, such
ae interest on bonds, sinking. fund,
school fund and the like. and arises as
600 OF taxable property, equals $3.50;
Dispcnsaty profits per. year, $500;
average Of cash fines. $4,000; licenses
imposed, Sl,40O; sanitary dues, $500.
This aggregates, or will nggrcgatc..this
year, ;:22,S5O.
This sum is disbnrscd as follows:
Mayors salary, 800; city attorney,
5000; chief OF police, 5000; five police
men,. $4,000; clerk of council. $500;
ton at cemetery, $500; street 0verscer,
5000; coat OF fire department. $500;
feeding. mules, $1,000; sanitary depart
ment, S1,1G2; dieting prisoners, 1910;
~incidrntals, MS coal and lights for hall,
printing and stationery, extra police
and the like, $1,000. These items ag-
gregate :$13,007. leaving a balance of
1888, which the Council can spend on
the streets. and which must cover the
material. For the year ending in Au-
gust last, the pay roll of street hands
aggregated S5,31S.37 and street ma to-
rial &5.470, tho sum of the two being
$lO.789.37.
For the past few years, at least, 49,
600 to $4,000 annually, has been spent
on the streets. That the work could
not have been Of n moro permanent
character we cannot say, that it was
dent to every one. Weare notinclined
to find fault with this or previous
Councils. We believe they did the
best they could. IT it was error then
all of the Councils for several years
past have erred, because they have oil
accomplished the same results.
1t seems, really, that permanent i'm
prOvements cannot be made without
additional money. Would it not be
wise, therefore. to vote the Council the
additional sum of S25, 900 OF more with
which to buy material, the S0,S43 bal
ance. as above, to be used in payment
&c labor !! vii! take sG-orai years &c
| do permanent work throughout tho
city, but once done there could be car
ried into tho sinking fund at least 81
mills Of tho tax rate now being paid
each year.
1t will be noticed that a levy of 5
mills or the 81, 100000 of taxable prop
erty produces $0,050, which is just
about tho amount we are spending
| yearly on tho streets. We notice also
that tho yearly pay roll of tho street
hands is just about one-half of this
amount. We can conclude then that
p mills are necessary for labor and 81
mills for material. Once tho streets
are put in permanent condition the
item Of material would drop out and
the item of labor be materially cut
down.
Viewed in this light, would it not be
n measure of economy to vote the bonds
needed. especially when the many
benefits to be derived from good streets
are taken into consideration.