The San Francisco call., 1904-07-12
WOULD CHANGE
THE CHARTER
Braunhart Wants Amend
ments to Modify the Dol
lar Limit of Taxation
FUND FOR IMPROVEMENT
DesignateS How the Income
From Any Public Utility
Shall Be Used by City

Supervisor BraUnhart yesterday sub
mitted to the Board of Supervisors two
proposed charter amendments, which
were referred to the joint Charter
Amendment and Finance Committee
for action. The first amendment relates
to a modification of the dollar limit
clause in section 2 chapter 1 of article
8, providing for the tax levy so that IS
cents of the levy shall be used for the
payment of all demands upon the
treasury. exclusive of the tax of cents
for the maintenance of the park and
also of the tax for interest and sinking
funds of any bonded indebtedness
This proposed amendment also pro-
vides:
The Supervisors may levy an additional tax
for public Improvement fund TO meet ap-
preparations for the acquisition, construction
or extension Of any Of the works described in
article XII OF the charter. for the laying
OF new pavements or the construction Of new
sewers in accepted streets. or for the erection
OF public buildings; but such additional taxes
shall not in any one year exceed the sum of
IL cents on each 500 valuation OF property
assessed.
Any surplus remaining unexpended in said
public improvement fund at the end OF any
fiscal year shall be continued therein and be
subject to appropriation for any Of the public
improvements above specified. The Super
visors in making the levy shall appOrtion the
taxes 10 the several funds.
The second proposed amendment pro-
vides that new section be added to
article XII of the charter, to be num-
bered section Is, to read as follows:
Whenever any water works. gas works.
electric light works. steam. water or electric
power works; telephone lines. street railroads,
operated by the city and county Of San Fran
cisco the earnings Of each such utility shall
De Kept in a separate fund and shall be ex-
pended Tor tho following purposes and in the
following order: l. To the current operating
expenses. To the maintenance oil the plant
and the repair and replaceulent OF WORKOUT
ma chinery and material. 3 To the repayment
To the city treasury OF moneys paid for in
terest and the redemntion OF bonds issued for
the acquisition OF such utility. !. To re-
serve fund 3. To new construction. &. To
the general fund
The reserve fund shall be constituted from
me surplus earnings Of such public utility.
after providing for the payments under sub
divisions /, and Of this section Such
surplus earnings shall be paid into the re-
serve fund until such fund shall amount 70
one half Of the payments under subdivisions
/. : and for the preceding fiscal year. after
which the surplus earnings may be set aside
by the Supervisors TO the fund for new con-
stTuction. TO the general fund OF the city
and county Whenever the earnings OF any
pubic utility in any fiscal year in
sufhcieht to meet the demands for the pur-
reserve fund may be used for the payment OF 3.
scch demands: and should the reserve fund
be insufficient to pay the same then the Board
OF Supervisors NAV appropriate from the gen
eral fund 0f the city and county a sum suf-
hcient to such deficiency
The provisions OF section . OF chapter / Of
article XIII shall not apply TO the fund OF
any public utility appropriation made
therefrcm.
Braunhart said that tax of So cents
on an assessed valuation of $500. 600 900
would raise $4,250, 900. and the income
from other sources would raise the total
to s6.000,0 900. or more than sufficient to
pay the running expenses of the gov
eminent.
The joint committee will meet next
Monday night at 8 o'clock to consider
the amendments