The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1906-04-28
BiLOXPS r1UNIClPAL FINANCES.
SOME INTERESTING FIGURES OF
CITY'S REVENUE AND DIS
BURSEMENTS.

Every reader interested in civil econ
omy and municipal finances will read
with interest, and Bay ST. Louisans
perhaps with profit, the following arti-
Gle from the Biloxi Herald, which con
tains figures of unusual interest:
The Herald in its rightful effort to
helpfully serve the people of Biloxi has
been digging down into the finances of
our city and gives its readers the fol-
lowing authentic statement of how our
public money is spent. We were un-
able to find any evidence of graft or un-
wise use of our funds; on the contrary,
the accounts show economic care and
good judgment in our financial affairs.
The receipts this year from the tax
levy amount to about $4,000. Esti-
mated income from licenses and privi-
leges, 81 ,809; from police court, 1,200;
from Back Bay bridge, $4,000; from
water rents, $1,000; and from State
fund, $500; total from all sources,
S48, 700.
The years budget of expenditure is
as follows:
For maintenance of police, $4,000; for
salaries of other city officials, such as
treasurer, tax collector, city clerk, iani-
| tor, poundkeeper and street commits
sioner, $4,000; for cleaning the brick
paved streets, 500; for care of other
| thirty-five miles of shelled streets, ten
miles of which have been open-8 in past
three years, $500; yearly cost of elec-
tric lights, $500; feeding prisoners,
$50; insurance on public buildings,
$3.50; donation to fire department, S425; !;
outlay for engines and hose, $4,000;
allowance for cemetery, 500; allowance
for Kings Daughters, Si20.
Expenses for public schools, S12, 800,
of which amount the State pays $1,000;
received from poll tax, $500; leaving
about $4,000 from local tax; the pay
roll for teachers amounts to sos for
the nine months school salaries, and
100 is spent for janitors, fuel and re-
pairs.
The present state of our bonds is this:
Waterworks bonds, s65, 800, bearing
per cent. interest; street improvement
bonds for reconstructing beach front
shellroad, $500, bearing per cent in
terest; street paving bonds, on centra
part of Howard avenue, S22 800, bearing
5 per cent. interest; city hall bonds
S15, 900, bearing per cent. interest
Tho total amount of outstanding bonds
at this time is si22, 800, interest on which
amounts to over $1,000 per annum.
There has not been anything done as t.
the issuing of the school building bond
for $4,000, authorized by the recen
} legislature. Correspondence is passing
!. between bankers and the finance com
mittee about this matter.
J 1t is contemplated by the city coun
, Gil to refund the $1,000 bridge bond
/ at Az per cent. interest instead of
, per cent, as at present; this will max
J an annual saving of interest of abou
$3.50; also to refund the bonds for cit.
hall of SIS, 200 at AZ per cent. interest
} instead of those now bearing percen
interest, which would make another an
nual saving Of 1915. BY these tw
means over 5000 can be saved for th
, city.
> There is yearly reduction of til
E city's bonded indebtedness; of the cit,
$ hall bonds of $500; waterworks, 81 900
street paying bonds. $500; total, 5000