The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-06-16
TIE CITY COUNCIL
Resolutions RelPtire 20 the Finan-
ciai Condition OF the City Adopted
They Have Special Bearing on the
Canine Local Option Election.

=. q
aud T. d Cole.
Every member was present except
Ncssrs Rowe and Revere.
Mr.. Embrey ma alengthy speech set
ting fourth tie iojury which would nc
cure TO the progress of the city at the
present time II local option prevails al
the coming election on June both. and
asked that Mr.. st George K. fitzhugh,
counsel for the city, read the following
paper. which had been carefully prepared,
giving facts a. To the financial conditions
now existing This paper being read by
MIR. Fitzhugh. MIR Embrey moved its
/ adoption. which was seconded by Mr..
Wrnten aud unanimously passed.
The following is the appeal adopted by
the Council
In view OF the pending local option
election. aud he grave consequences 10
the city and it, tax pnSe-s that worli
ensue II prohibition shall succeed. the wn-
dersigned members Of the City Council oi
E fredericksburg feel constrained {" invite
/ the thoughtful consideration OF the tax
/ PAYERS to some OF these consequences.
The City Council has for many years
past resisted the tremendous pressure OF
public sentiment in favor OF both sewer
age and street paving because the
Interest on the m lney TO be b0r-
rowed to make these improvement
conld not be met by the revenues
Of the city without an increase OF taxes,
which il was felt our people could not
stand
OF late. by reiundng a large part OF
the debt of the city at four per cent 10
terest. and by considerably Increasing
our bonded Indebtedness 10y the sale ol
bonds bearing this reduced interest we
have made a new departure Tor tredef-
irkshurg. and the city l. irrevocab'y
committed 70 the improvements now M
progress and cAunot halt or retraee It's
steps The contracts for ihese improve
ments are all m ade. and the money TO
meet them must b. provided.
These improvements necessltate0 the
creation of a floating debt OF AT least
SD 600. for which the city Il not au-
thorized u issue bonds. but must nles'
IL out oi its revenues.
The present annual revenues are Who'll
lv INADEQUATE for this purpose. ana
though the Council. 90 meet this serious
deficiency. mas reached out for every
thing that could be legally taxed incress
iog licences largely and IN the case oil
Houor dealers trebling their licenses
,bis additional REVENGE III leaves a
large part II the dOating debt unprovid'
e. for
In addition 10 this grave financial SIT
nation there il immediate and impera-
Z. q 4 4
laa.t ten thousand dollars in repairs
and improvements on the Cty water
Works which cannot he delered, thus
necessitating the further increase OF our
floating deh' ,..
O1r tax PAYERS 10 addition 10 the taxes
which they pay for the expenses oi the
city government. including the : l3 SOB
40 o. annual interest on the bonded IN
dehf.dness of the city, are now paying "A
sewerage tax and will soon he ASSESSED
Tor tho cos. II side walks and cellar
doors.
The aggregate oi these assessments
will he considerable and u the ountii at
H. Jilv sion shall increase the rate oi
taxation TO enable the city 10 pay on its
dnating debt. the burden of taxation
will be senslbly felt and specialiy WIZ IL
bear heavily on Wild vs. ana orphans
owning property. and 1t VIII be retneih'
bered that these have no vote.
II was hoped that with low rae 81
interest on our large bonded indebted
ness and the increase Of taxable values
with the growing prosperity oil the city
the revenues would 80 increase that
there would be- in the near future sur
DIus every year with which 10 cradusily
Increase our street paving and sewerage
and AT the same time accumulate . SINK
iuo fnnd for the reduction ~ the city :
bonded deht
Nth these conditions confronting
rs the tax payers are being earn
estiv invited 10 vote IN refund "a
the 'uouor dealers OF the city - ZOV
of the $3.50 OF license taxes
that they have already pad INTO ths
city treasury. TO deprive the city lor n
time Of this annual license tax oil 81
$40 lenough to pay the annual interest,"
ON : 100 200 of our boadef debit 10 GRIP
nle. if not destroy. the lawful business o
ii If ourciiizans 70 infllct iucalculable IN
inrv upou the entire business OF the city
RI ,rrest for an indfnite time the iurthei
inprovement Of our streets and exten
sion Of our sewerage system, ana u
Lave the CITY Council no alternative bu
"a lar,elv increase the rate OF taxatl0i
at its July session.
All these grave consequences will new
tally follow il prohibition shall oe rue
ces.fdl on June 3Otb.
This threatened calamity to ouf cii.
Is due to a petition containing 100 sigma
) turss Very many q the signers al
: amongst our most excellent citizens
which fact but increases the peril OF ID
, situation. IL.
Without information a. TO the disas
trous results of prohibilioni in other con
munitiss and without the knowledg
70 that nearly every State that has trie
nrohibItion has later repudisted IL ]
disgust. these signers have assumed
much weighter responsibility than the
are conscious OF. or than they themselNe
wonld mon reflection deem prudent, J
J. view of the very small proportion OF IN
q tax payers' burden which a very larR
n naiority of them bear 10 this con
o muDity. -.
e on these signers - pay no propert
tax at alto the city Thirty h'e OF l,
- paw head tax Of fifty cents and !
i i psy no head tax OF other tax to the clt.
: Forty eight OF these signers pay LEI
T. than 81 property and bead tax combined
y Hence 100 of the l65 sigUers do nc
u nav a property and head tax combine
of 81 each. =,
The entire list OF 1ej signers pay II
20 .;,v n nropertv and head tax OF on
It 81 900 10.
W And two Of thesigners pay more tina
=. one-third OF the whole amount. len
s the signers psy two-thirds OF the VINO
" amount and II OF the signers pay lou
fIths Il the entire property and het
tax paid by them all
T, The 165 sieners pay on licenses TO Z
y, ~ city only $906.O3. H.
pc The eleven liquor dealers pay on lice
; ses to the city 81, 1872.
s Total licenses paid to the city is II
bo lO97. 20. eooc n
De The 165 petitioners only pay s9oo
These eleven liquor dealers, whose on
be ness it rs sought TO destroy OF cripp
ar ay to the city in tax on property me
ty than one-fourth of the property tax pa
lie nv the entire list Of 100 signers.
is These eleven liquor dealers pay q to'
" tax 10 the city of 81 ,634 30.
De The 165 signers pay a total TAX
ug the city of only 81 sO6.2O
Total amount OF taxes paid on real
tate In this city is S17,214,4
~ Rut ope.third of the petiti 'ners p
", any tax on real estate, and they Oh