Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-02-09
CITY MAY COLLECT EXPENSES OF
STATE CASES FROM BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS
DRASTIC ACTION is
SUGGESTED BY CLERK
Council Refers Matter to City Solicitor
N. c. Gimore-Attorney Not Ready
to Make Recommendation - Ward
House Question Involved.

From Thursdays Daily.
Will 1t be possible for the city of
Ottumwa to collect from Wapello
county the court fees that the city has
paid in connection with state cases
entered in police court during the
past five years? Such step was sug-
gested to the last council meeting by
Clty Clerk Frank Nimocks The ques-
ton was raised in connection with the
claim of the city for rent for the ward
houses used by the county during the
last general election as places of re-
gistration and for voting purposes.
Recently the council instructed the
city clerk to prepare bill Of the ex-
penses accruing to the city in connec-
ton with the last general election
and present it to the county board CT
supervisors. This was done. Last
evening Mr.. Nimocks made his report
on the. action of the board. He said
in part:
Nimock's Report.
I'm accordance with your instruc-
ton made out complete bill of the
election expenses amounting to Sill rs
including $4S rent for four wari
houses and presented it to the board.
The board called me before them per-
sonally and asked me to explain the
$48 item. I told them we had paid
$12 rent for one on the South Side
and had charged them a like amount
for the use of the ward houses in the
first, fourth and sixth wards as we
owned the properties there and the
expense of keeping them up was
much more than double that during
a year Later the board notified me
the exception of the $4S and have
received a receipt from the city treas
urer for the balance, $63.25.
II see no reason why the balance Of
the bill should not be paid or even a
larger amount, as this was county
election and the county has no inter.
est whatever in the city's ward houses
and should either pay rental or should
share in the expense of keeping them
| in repair
Suggests Collection Of Foes.
II would respectfully suggest to the
council they take action at once tc
collect not only this $48 but the
county's share of this expense for the
past five years. would further sug
gest that the council take steps tc
collect fees for the state cases taken
care of by the city for the past five
years, as well as the current expenses
of such cases. am reliable Informed
that in Des MONIES, Davenport and
other cities these fees are charged &c
the county and are paid by the board
of supervisors. 1t seems unreason
able that the cltlzens of Ottumwa
should pay their share of the taxes
for these stat, cases and then pay
them in full as a city.
After discussion Alderman Keyhoe
moved that the city solicitor, M. c
Gilmore, instruct the clerk as to wha'
extent the bills were collectible, ant
that the clerk then make them ou
and present them to the county, an
that the city collect them If possible
The motion was carried.
Up to Solicitor.
This action leaves the matter in the
hands of City Attorney M. G. Gilmore
Mr. Gilmore stated this morning tina
he was not as yet ready to make an,
Recommendation in the matter, desir
ing to make a thorough examination
Of the law on the POINTS involved.