The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-10-12
MEETING OF
CITY COUNCIL
INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUA-
TION S331,612.
Many Buildings Not Yet Listed
Council Pays Some Bills-PIumb-
ers Should Be Looked After
Gain in Revenue Water and Light.


Gain in Revenue Water and Light.
The City Council met in regular
session yesterday afternoon with
Mayor Fred J. COmbe presiding,
and with the following aldermen and
officers present: Aldermen Jas. a.
Browne, S l. Dworman, S. G.
Tucker, VIM Putegnat and City
Secretary Frank Champion.
After the reading and adoption Of
the minutes of the last meeting, the
report of the Board of Equalization
was submitted to the council and ap-
proved, the city council fixing the
tax rate for this year the same as
last year, which is So cents on 500.
The report of the Board of Equal
iZatiOn showed the valuation of real
and personal property rendered as
81, 968,504; valuation Of real and
personal property unrendered as
$511,950, the total valuation being
S2,48O,454, or an increase in valu-
alton over last year of 1891 SIP.
The report further stated that the
board had been in session ten days
and during that time they had eX-
amined 694 manifests, out OF which
316 viii appear on the rendered
roll for 1909, while the remainder
are parties having failed to render
their property as required by law.
They also stated in their report that
they had found large number of
new buildings recently erected and
in course of construction which
when listed next year should add a
considerable increase to this years
total and the city's revenue from /
this source The report was
signed by Judge E. C. Forto, Ben
jamin Kowalski and w H. Mason, F!
Jr
A petition was received from John /
w. HOyt requesting the city council /
to pass an ordinance limiting the .
width of the sidewalks on cross /
streets to six feet The petition set
forth that the cross streets are so
narrow that by making sidewalks
wider than six feet it is almost i'm
possible for two vehicles to pass
each other in the streets. This pc
tiriOn was referred to the street /
and bridge committee.
The following bills against the
city were also allowed and ordered .
paid
Frontier Lumber Co. --... S65.36
Sheriff c. Cara, for board OF
city prisoners ...-....... $3.50
Frank Champion, for postage
for summoning tax payers
to appear before the Board
of Equalization ..... l.25
J.. Porter, shOeing mules and
repairing wagons belonging
to the city ..-........ 1000
Brownsville Hardware Co. 31.15
The report of Chief of Police Con-
ner showed that during the months
of June, July and August there was
collected in fines, $24.20.
The matter of issuing bonds for
improving the electric light and
water plant was then discussed and
while all OF the aldermen seemed
to be in favor Of ordering an cleo
ton for issuing bonds for this pur-
pose, no definite action was taken
on account of the city attorney be-
ing absent, and it was thought ad-
visable to obtain his advice on the
matter before ordering an election.
Alderman Dworman said he
thought it would be a good idea TO
have an ordinance governing plumb
ers, as there were now coming into
the city a lot of men calling them
selves plumbers who were not COM
petent, and when they did work
that was not satisfactory there was
no recourse to be had against them.
He thought the city should have a
superintendent examine and license
all plumbers
Alderman Browne said he thought
it would be a good plan to bond
all plumbers. This question had
been agitated before by Alderman
Tucker The matter was laid over
until the next meeting
Alderman Tucker then moved that
the Board of Equalization be paid
for ten days services at the rate of
SO per day, which motion upon be-
ing duly seconded by Alderman
Dworman was carried.
The report of Superintendent
Burks of the electric light and