Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-04
Necessary to Cut


Necessary to Cut
GAS kind of keynote to what I may
say on the finances of this city, I
would like to placard in large letters
the words This is the year of the
Owens river bond issue and with the
thought that lies In them as a keynote,
l desire to make some suggestions
looking, as 1 believe, to strictness If
not indeed economy in the outlay of
public funds. In other words,4it will
be necessary for this city to deny itself
some good livingstone improvements
that many will deem necessities; other
wise, the city will become involved in
unreasonable and dangerous outlay.
THE revenues of the city last year
were, from the dollar rate of taxation,
s2,029,s57; licenses, police courts, etc,
$4,000, making a total of practically
$2,600,000 with which to run the ordi-
nary business of the city
additional to this was a little more
than 100000 for bond interest and
sinking account allowance.
For the current year we should have
from the dollar tax rate $2,650,000, and
from licenses police courts, etc, in
round figures about $750,000, which will
give us a total of S3,400,000 for the
ordinary expenses of the city This
also makes no allowance for the special
tax for bond interest and sinking fund.
Estimates Too High
TT is the duty of the various depart
ments of the city to send in to the
auditor estimates of the expenses of
each department for the current year.
These estimates have been furnished
and they amount to more than the en-
tire income now figured. Hence,
there will have to be various cuts in
these departments and proportfonate
amount of growing from the city hall
because of the wrongs done to the
heads of these departments.
"In fact, the present city council,
with reasonable thrift would find no
serious difficulty in managing the af-
fairs of the city. If it could only start
with a clean record, but 1T inherited,
not from last year simply but from the
past years, troublous conditions In re-
gard to the city sewer, and as re-
suit it finds itself $325,000 to $350,000
in the hole on the very threshold of the
new years business.
ut would seem, with $S00,00 more
than was expended last year in manag-
ing the city's business, and especially
remembering the tremendous bond issue
voted to provide water for the city, that
the voters of Los Angeles should not
be asked for a dollar in the coming
year in the way of further bond issues.
Sewer and Fire First
TT is true we must have s325,000
from some source for the sewer. 1t is
true, the fire department should be put
on a better footing at an expenditure
of not less than 100000
1--WE have no choice about the
bridges; they must be constructed and
the outlay will be not less than $250,000.
"The conditions at the city jail are
such that increased space and improved
conditions of some character must be
provided or the city stand condemned
in the eyes of an intelligent public.
Additional expense must be incurred
on the city hall building or on the
vacant land adjacent to provide addi-
tional offices for the public service, or
If that be not DONE then a heavy rental
must be paid for outside buildings.
can important item in the budget
must necessarily be reserve tund'
This is no new thing, as 1t has ap-
peared in the budget of other years, but
that fund should be large enough to
cover all possible emergencies ana
leave sufficient funds at the close of
the fiscal year to carry the administra-
ton over the first three months of the
next year.
'If this is not done, then employees
must remain unpaid or the banks must
be called upon for help, as at present.
Requires Million
"The result is, If various departments
get what they have asked, if moder- |
ate amount be set aside for the reserve
fund and the absolutely essential pub |
lie improvements, jdst referred to, be
carried out, it would require million
dollars more than the city authorities
have at their disposal.
what shall be done? One thing
certain, the city council must not ask
for more than one bond issue.
IF fire bond issue be put before the
public, then the outlay on the sewer
must be met out of current income,
IF, on the other hand, as seems more
probable, the decision be arrived at to
ask for bond issue to finish the work
on the sewer, then no other bond issue
must be considered, and all improve
ments in the fire department, all work |
on bridges and any outlay on the city
hall or jail must come from the regular
item of taxes.
Looking to Future
1T is the opinion of the finance COM
mittee that more than half the increase
In this years taxes should be put into
that class or permanent improvements
that is usually provided for nv bond
issues such as bridges, public build
ings for fire departments, citv hall etc
TT might be possible indeed, to pet
along without any bond issue what
ever, but that would mean a denleted
treasury at the end of the year and no
funds for the immediate business 81
the new year.
"It should be the purpose of the man
agement OF this city to run its affairs
as nearly on ordinary business nrinci
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