The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-12
CONTROLLER MAKES
HIS ANNUAL REPORT
Account Given of City's Re-
ceipts and Expenditures for
the Past Year..
ECONOMY RECOMMENDED
SHOWING MADE BY
MUNICIPAL LIGHT PLANT, THE
PATRONAGE HAVING INCREAS-
ED 80 PER CENT IN YEAR.

mitted 10 council his report for the
past year The report is quite vol
luminous but every point touched on
is vital and nothing is left out of
import to the city fathers. Lack of
composition facilities prevents the
Palladium from giving the report in
full. The most salient points follow:
Financial RecapituIation.
Total receipts. January i, 1907,
s276, ,73S2S: expenditures during 1906,
department of finance, ss1,95e.90;
board of public works, s164, ,064. 81;
health department, s2,41159; police
department, $14,3S02S; city court ST.
407O0; balance on hand January l.,
1907, $12.514.6s, as shown by books
of city controller.
Municipal Light Plant.
Much attention is given to the light
plant from which but extracts are
taken.
1t may be we'll, however, to state
that during the past year plans, es-
Inmates and contracts were made by
authority of council and the board
of public works for an increase of &c
2-3 per cent in the capacity of the
plant and although the work has been
pushed as rapidly as possible, it will
probably not be fully completed be-
fore March 1st of this year and in
the meantime the capacity of the
plant is SO inadequate that it has
been unable for time to furnish the
l;rl, oh
about an hour of each evening, to
say nothing of soliciting new husi-
ness
On January 1, 1906 there were l.
323 private consumers and on jan
uary /, 1907 the number had been
increased to 1,731, showing net gain
- eDver~ thiFts-~ per cent which has
practically come to the plant without
solicitation during the past year.
With the completion of the increas-
ed capacity of the plant and the work
and energy necessary to solicit new
business and care for such increase,
and the continued loyalty to the city
and its light plant heretofore shown
by our citizens, the debt to the city,
aside from its bonds, will not only
be paid but the cost to the city for all
it's lights will be practically nothing
whatever in the course of a very few
years.
On January 1906 the light plant was
indebted to the city in the amount of
s200.2S2.95, of which the amount COW
cred by bonds on which the city pays
per cent interest is s144, 100000, leav-
inc 1,o1 1r,o h. cJ, Il
ed from the general fund $50 2S2 %.
Since then the city has paid out
for the light plant including better
ments. s53,670.S4, making total of
s109, ,953.79, from which the years
receipts should be deducted s63, ,1SS.7S.
showing a balance due the city Janu-
airy 1, 1907, s46.765.01.
Special Chautauqua Fund.
The directors of the Richmond
Chautauqua association paid to the
city a portion of their net profits in
1905 to be used as nucleus to which
other sums would ba added flom
time to time until the amount should
become sufficient to be used in perma-
nent improvements for the Chautau-
qua assembly. This sum was at the
beginning of the past year, deposited
as a special sinking fund with the
Dickinson Trust company of this city
and at this time the total is 81, 1,l23.09
Additional Bonds Issued.
During the past year the bonded in
debtedness of the city was increased
$4,000, by an issue of 31a per cent
bonds due in 1916. When we take in
to account the annual increase in the
taxable property within the city, it ap-
pears reasonable to assume an aver
age addition TO the sinking fund of s6,-
10000 annually during the next ten
years, providing the levy of five cents
on each $4,000 taxable property is not
changed Such levy will pay off the
city bonds as they become due, except
ing the light plant bonds, which are
not due until 1927, and will leave mon
ey in the sinking fund.
Economy is Cautioned.
| have herein attempted to place be-
fore you statement of all the ac-
counts of the city and of each OF the
funds under your care SO fully and
plainly that all who care TO do. so may
them. It will readily be
seen that strict economy is necessary
that the city's credit be not impaired
Hence any extraordinary expenditures
should only be authorized and made
when they are for improvements of a
nature.
The additions to the electric light
plant, authorized in the spring of 1906,
are so nearly completed that large
on the work and machinery
will be necessary very soon, and as
but little revenue will be received un-
til May of this year. it will be necessa-
ry to anticipate this by temporary
loans.
/ must further urge upon you, as did
nay predecessor, the changing of some
Of the city ordinances so that they
may better conform TO the present con-
dirions. Respectfully submitted.
WEBSTER PARRY,