Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-27
COUNCILMEN DRAW
TOO MUCH MONEY
BELIEVED THAT MANY TOWNS
HAVE CONDITIONS SIMILAR
TO FORT MADISON
Mayor There Asks Present Council to
Authorize Him to Commence Pro-
ceedinss to Rocover Salaries illegal
ly Drawn by counciImen.

I, Des Moines, Dec. Estate inspec
ton OF municipal affairs has disclosed
the fact that city councils quite gen
orally throughout the state of Iowa
nave exceeded their authority in Not
Inc, their salaries and have drawn fcr
their services In excess of the amount
provided by the law.
stances, suits will be commenced to
recover from them money thus lille.
gally collected with interest. In some
instances, judgments in accordance
would fatty reimburse depleted city
treasures.
A notable instance is furnished al
Fort Madison, where it Is discovered
that during the years 1901 and 1902,
the largest amounts overdrawn with
interest We're $205 and 1885 respect.
lively. The last three years discloses
the overdrafts to be considerable
smaller.
the annual compensation of coun-
cilmen is not to exceed $50 as provid-
ed by statute. The only member of
the present Mount Pleasant city coun-
Gil who is caught in case of legal pro-
ceedings for any great amount is AL
derman Day, who has been serving all
OF the ,tve years III question.
Proceeds TO Collect.
The mayor has asked the present
council to authorize him to commence
proceedings to collect the several
amounts due. In case they refuse to
take part in the matter he has an
nounced that he will undertake on his
own Initiative to take the proper steps.
however, as to the overdrawn salar-
compel the return is not doubted. If
previous councils had construed the
law as did the members last year., no.
body doubts that they would have al
lowed themselves any more than they
We're entitled to-
Notwithstanding the fact that it is
generally conceded that the remunera-
ton provided by statute for men
serving as councilmen is small, the
law reads:
THE compensation of councilmen
in all other cities (than those of first
class) shall receive not to exceed 81 90
each, for every regular or special meet
ing and in the aggregate not exceed
Ing 500 in one year."
Draw $50 Per Year.
For many years councilmen have
construed this to mean that they could
draw $50 per year, regardless of the
number of meetings held and have
voted to allow themselves such sums
at the close of each fiscal year. Last
year, however, the point was raised,
that this was clearly illegal, and the
council examined the law on the mat
ter little more fully and>fnally de-
clded that they were entitled to but
one dollar for each meeting held.
1t is now claimed by some that each
member should be locked for the
meetings at which he was not actually
present. If this be true, the over
drafts of some Iowa councilmen will
run into good sized amounts. The
state examiners in making their list
of money illegally expended assumed
placed the present aldermen on the
list
In Mt Pleasant the total overdrafts
discovered, caused by this nature of
Illegal expenditures without interest
amount to $555.S4. Additional to this
ex-Superintendent Green is alleged to
have overdrawn approximately $3.50,
so that the investigation shows there
should be returned to the Mt. Pleasant
city treasury S705.S4. 1t is to recover
this amount that the mayor is determ-
ined to institute proceedings. The
expense of the state investigation of
the public accounts of Mt. Pleasant
was $225.19.
If the same ruling as regards the
law governing compensations of alder
men is appealed to by Iowa cities, it is
expected there will be many demands
upon former aldermen for refunds of
Overdrawn salaries.