The Daytona gazette=news. (Daytona, Fla.) 1901-1922, 1903-05-16
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
rssssaons from the P0opls-Ths
Aayoralty Salary Question
Got . Frosty Rocsption.


taxpayers and other citizens, some of
whom took part In the discussions over
the various measures and petitions which
came up Tor consideration.
Alderman Foster presided. Aldermen
Porter and {. l.. Smith were absent. The
latter ia in the State Legislature. and the
former was somewhere dow II the river
on fishing trip.
After disposing of the usual routine
business. the Council took up number
oil petitions from citizens.
Residents OF Midway asked that Bay
street be extended on from Ridgewood
avenue tn the railroad tracks and thence
north to Second avenue. Referred To n
special committe Geo. II Ludwig and
+. W. Green.
A petition signed by large number oi
leading business men and representative
citizens was presented, praying the Coun-
Gil to exercise its power to authorize the
payment of n salary of 800 annually to
the Mayor
This petition was discussed pro and
con to some length Alderman Atwood
opposed the step ON the ground of general
municipal poverty. He said the city had
gotten behind financially long before the
present charter was granted, and the
chaVter wasdrawn with an especial view
to prevent extravaganza.
s. II. Cove, who was mayor when the
present charter was drawn. begged leave
to differ with Alderman Atwood. He
said that the debt the alderman alluded
to was not in reality IL debt The city
had simply loaned the taxpayers n sum
Of money. The sea- wall had been built,
and some other Imperative improvements
made, aud the property owners assessed
pro rata tn meet the expense. All those
assessed could not pay promptly, and
the City Council advanced the money In
II way, il was assuming II debt, but they
Wen. perfectly safe IN doing so.
This is a rich corporation. continued
Mr. Cove; there is more wealth herr than
IN any other city Cf its size i'll Florida
Wear abundantlyable To pay our mayor
u good salary, and the progressive and
liberal minded taxpayers want il done,
and they will sustain such action
What right have we to ask or expect
agood. capable man To serve III for moth
ing 1t isn't right; it isn't fair, and it
is poor policy 1t l. thanklr-- job at
best, and the time will come 10 III when
no good man will take it
x-Mnyor George II. Ludwig said he
! could neither 49, or imagine any reason
why man should desire To serve this
town without salary. nor could he see
any reason why any fair-minded citizen
should expect such a thing from II fellow
citizen. The city clerk, the tax assessor
and the tax collector arr paid something
for their time and trouble, and it is very
unreasonable to ask the mayor to give
his time and attention to public interests
without some compensation.
There are plenty of men here who do
not need the money. said Mr.. Ludwig
"but they do not want the office. our
men OF wealth, ease and leisure only stay
here about six months in the year. and
this city don't need a siX-months mayor,
! Ii needs an all the year round mayor
and good one mt that. The good and
capable men who remain here all the year
are business men with private Interests
| To take up their time, and we have M
right To ask them 10 neglect their own
affairs Tor those of other people.
For my part, think 81 900 n year
! little enough. but th"charter wont per
NIT over 300. and think We ought t.
give him that. and am confident that
such action by the Council will meet with
approval, generally.
W. II Peters favored paving the mayor
q salary. The Council may not have a
right to give salary Tor AN uneNpired
term" said Mr. Peters pat ~ pu"s
ton for YOU to decide. Eut eyer0 Inar
with whom hav" talked n tml5hirct
is in favrr OF 500 salary NIN" IN"
allows you to give "a mayoN~
Acting Mayor Harris opposed granting
the petition He said the same question
came before the Council last year, and il
was decided then that the city was too
poor to take such n step, and he thinks
now Just rs he did then
After brief consultation. Alder
man Atwood moved to refer the whole
matter to the Ordinance Committee, and
the motion was agreed to.
| The next petition was one praying ior
| the removal Of all trash, boats, shanties
etc. from the small island at th" South
bridge. in order that the island my i'm
proved and converted into public park
; For some time the Halifax River Yacht
| Club have had control of the island, and
! G.. H. Ludwig and A. W Wells have built
/ a couple of boat shanties on il.
Ex-Mayor Cove explained to the Coun
ell that several years ago Ii. NJ. Flagler
presented the island To the city OF Day
! tona with the understanding that it was
to be made II public park. Nothing, how
ever, has ever been done to carry out the
purpose for which Mr.. Flagler gave it.
! Mr.. Cove stated further that he was in
favor of starting public subscription
among the citizens to improve the place
and make an attractive park of it. he
believed the people would respond gen,
orally and literally.