The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-09-27
LEVY LESS THIS YEAR
Council Prepares Budget for
Ensuing Twelve Months.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
The city council last night levied
$6S,5O0 i'll taxes for city purposes
for the coming year. Of this. $4,000
was for the balance due the Barber
Asphalt Paving company on its Broad
street paving judgment, leaving $685.
900 for general purposes, which is
81, 800 less than that of last year.
The committee on ways and means
presented a tax levy resolution, levy
ing the following amounts: For cur
rent expenses, $4,000; for streets, al
leys and bridges, $4,000; interest
fund, 10000; parks, $4,000; library,
$4,000; sinking fund, $1,000; local i'm
provement deficiency fund, $4,000; bal
ance on Broad street judgment, $l5,-
900; city's share of South Fifth
street improvement, $1,000; Main
street improvement fund, $1,000; in
terest and principal on Central park
and balance due in improvements, ST.
500; total $6s,5OO.
Opposition to Central Park Levy.
At the request of Aid Atchison, the
different items were voted on sep
arately. The only objection raised
was to the item for Central park,
some of the aldermen favoring putting
it in the regular park levy, so that if
the courts held that the park was not
purchased the money could be used on
the other parks.
Aid. Atchison called attention to
the heavy tax levy and did not think
that anything unnecessary should be
levied. He said that the city does
not own Central park.
S. B. Wilson, representing Fred Kron
and others, said that the city does own
the property, and if the city does
not make the levy as provided it
would be a dir stroke against the
park purchase, before the courts. Hav-
ing bought the property, the council
should provide the money to pay for
it.
Aid. Atchison moved that the park
levy be increased to $4,000, to cover
all park purposes, and the vote on
this was 3 ayes, 2 noes.
Makes New Ruling.
Mayor Andrews held that he had
the right to vote mo" and tie the
council, which would lose the motion,
and he. did so. This was a ruling
never before made by any mayor since
the city was organized
Aid. Atchison appealed from the de-
cision of the chair, and Mayor An
drews put the question of sustain
ing the chair, and the council voted,
3 noes to 2 ayes not to sustain the
chair.
City Attorney Schmitt was appealed
to by the mayor, and he held that the
motion had been carried, having re-
ceived majority of the vote. The
mayor conceded gracefully his error
and declared the motion making the
park levy $500 carried.
Judge w. L. Comstock spoke in favor
of the levy for the improvement of
the Main street hill, which he said
was very necessary.
Engineer Wood said that Main street
to Fifth has Il steep grade, and to
lessen the grade he would recommend
to the street railway company that
the surplus dirt from Fifth street be
taken to Main street and distributed
below Fifth to lessen the grade. The
company would do this without cost.
Park Matter Adjusted.
Aid. Atchison moved that levy
of $1,000 be made for Central park,
with the provision that it revert to
the park fund in case the city does not
acquire Central park, and this was
carried.
City Attorney Schmitt amended his
opinion and held that votes on reso-
buttons required four votes.
The council went back and unani-
mously voted the park levy at $4,000,
which provided for $500 to pay back
the loan of $500 from the current
fund. The park levy has been $4,000
until the last year or two, when it
was reduced to $500.
The resolution as amended was then
carried, establishing the tax levy. As
no provision was made for more street
paving, none will be done next year.
A petition was read, asking the
council to repair and fix up the Main
street hill. 1t was ordered placed on
file. The expenditure for this i'm
provement was provided for in the
tax levy.