The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-16
MAYOR TEAGUE SENDS ANNUAL
 MESSAGE TO CITY COUNCIL

ducing the public debt will be ab- body esst am or the sonp opnan ~ssl eyer advisable, both courses should hc pursued, While the city has been. that if all future disbursements are II more r:gidly scanned. and the essitJ. therefore. mo-e carefully , investigated. an apprecis ble saving 1t is undeniahly true that our rev enue is not proportionate to the size and wealth of our fair city. This Is. i,n part. due o, to our Is,S low t tax s rate of rrominence in the South. The Mobile ra rate .ol; is higher l., and although the tax ham is a few cents lower. there is an additional tax on mercantile houses which makes the rate. applicable to | excess of the local rate. This is, all so. true of other large and prosperous cities in the south. but I doubt the in our city. which may he advanced to s1.25 under tho law. until other means of improving the citys fnau-
 Tt is an indubitable fact that Mont gomery property IS not assessed. in a Ism great ,nn,nv, manv instsnces; at figure figure ton. and before considering the n"- | cessitv of increasing the ate of tax ation. which would work an inequita nl" hardship upon ,et citizens who ar are urge aq ' your n' honorabie S body to rhss desiss some means of augmenting the rev. enue derived from this source. l be- lie". that feasible and eficacious | solution of the problem could be 4nceomNished by the creation of 8 charter can be so amended as to per- init of the foundation of such a Board. directly interested In the city's wei and benefit to the communitic; which created them.
 Ut must not be overlooked by those | to whom the veal of our beloved city is entrusted. that each year witnesses expansion in every field of industry and extends the area of the thickly populated districts. As our population and prosperity increase. we must com mensurately increase the number and extent of public Improvements. It is necessary Improvements. hut the rec ognition is forced upon us that more adequate means must be found to finance such undertakings. or the | growth and progress of our city will be seriously retarded
 Sinking Fund Needed.
 "One of the most cogent factors in stimulating and preserving the credit of mnniripaitty ty is tn the ssfao,shmEna ia mx nrn conviction that the city would be inn measurably benefited if your honorable body were to make provision for such a fund. to he devoted to the extin- guishment of the public debt and in vested as the Council may deem pest calculated to promote that object venture to suggest that it would be wise disposition to invest such moneys in paving bonds of the city of Mont gomery. These yield 6 per cent inter y~,,lN n profitable investment for the city.
 "The city began the fiscal year just ended with a deficit of $62.417, the ac- cumulated deficit of years. and at the the an increase of (not reportedD This increase is accounted for by the mum Der of extraordinary expenditures which were necessitated by the grow ing demands of the city in various de- partments and rendered expedient oy the subsequent saving to the city the commissioning of new fire stations the purchase of new equipment Tor in ] ,taliatior +hereir. ard the pavment or unearned fire insurance policies on clty property which. under an arrangement with the insurance companies: Will save the public treasury considerao'e
 Additional facilities for the sani- tary Department. permanent improve. ments such as the construction or storm sewer @ on beeaaT f"r naY,pE fert fer wheh
 
 preperty tme erty % owners. ls cost of police uni forms appropriated by the Councll and other unusual disbursements when are itemized in the report of the C1tv Clerk. are included under this head amounting in all to $44.S26.64.
 "There is no prospect that the amount to he disbursed during the cur. rent fiscal year for like purposes will be as great as the amount expended during the year just ended. An ap- propriation must he made to provide pavment for a lot in Highland Park. recently acquired as a site for a tTe sir ton, and to provide funds for the erection of d building thereon. The expense of constructing new wharl and of acquiring property Tor the eX : tension of South Court street, soutil In order to provide better system or drainage, must also be borne out ol this years appropriations and it IS highly important that your honorable body give the question Of improvlng the finances of the city careful thought and consideration.
 "An ordinance authorizing an issue of refunding bonds to the amount or bonds issued in 1877 in compromise of bonds issued to the South and North Alabama Railroad Company. and Tn compromise of bonds issued for build ing the market house. Is now be1ore your honorable body and committee in charge Is Investigating legal features and preparing the way for the issue As the Legislature of Alahama mas eX empted such issue from taxation. i' should prove attractive to local capi- talists and an effort should be made tr