The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-16
O'BR|EN ISSUES
FINANCIAL REPORT
Cost S1,315,672.78 to Run
City for Year
ITEMS FOR DEPARTMENTS
Total Assets of Birmingham Are Near
ly ,ooo,oo0-school Properties
Valued at $652,15o-PubIic I'm
provement Expenditures.

Mayor Frank P. OBrien has issued, in
printed FORM the first report of Auditor
c. S. Petersen under the change of the
fiscal year from July l, 1908, to June 80,
1909. The report shows that it cost ST.
3l5, 672. 70 to run the city for the year, an
excess over the receipts of $19,6S4.54. 1t
also shows the remarkable increase in
assessments of 80. 100000, causing an in
crease in revenue of $s6, 1880
The financial troubles were met by
temporary loans netting $201 900.
Among the interesting figures, the police
department was maintained at a cost of
$4,000; the fire department s13S,00 The
Board of Education spent $17s,O00. Money
for charity netted $500. Health and sani-
tation cost about $4,000. For highways
about $4,000 was spent
In the public improvement bond fund
the receipts were 1897, 657, and the dis
bursements s16632S.
The balance sheet, which accounts for
all property of the city of Birmingham,
shows that the city owns lands and
buildings valued at $2,250,00O, street i'm
provements valued at 50, 7s4,32 The total
assets of the city are placed at s5,794-
0s4 50 and the assets over liabilities at
s2,72s, 59S
The school properties of the city are
valued at $652, $50
Following is the letter of the Mayor in
submitting the report and the aggregate
of receipts and disbursements:
Citu af Rirn,ir obo ~ E-~anut;vo nop,
ment, October 8. 1909.
To the Honorable, the City Council.
Gentlemen Complying with section ii of
the municipal code, herewith present to
you the complete and comprehensive re-
port of your city auditor, Mr.. c. S. Peter
SEN
This is the first complete financial report
from this department since the fiscal
year was changed from the calender
year to July-July The wisdom of your
honorable body in making this change
will be apparent to the community and
be appreciated by all business men, in
asmuch as your budget committee can
now arrive at an approxi nately correct
estimate of the city's annual revenue,
whereas the revenue in a calendar
year would of necessity be taken from
a portion of the preceding years TAX
levy.
In view of recent legislative enact
ment creating Greater Birmingham, this
will be the last ,ompnte financial report
of the present city In The future, this
will serve as a gauge by which to meas
ure conditions which will be brought
about by the addition If the various
municipalities which will go to make
up the greatest city in The south.
do not thing it amiss, in bringing
this report to your notice, to call your
attention to matters that viii mat aria,
ly improve conditions pertaining to the
wellbeing of this municipality. 1t is
therefore with great pleasure that sub
init this report of The auditor.
From year to year reports from some of
my predecessors nave been largely devot-
ed to the financial endorsements of
the city government, and methods have
been, properly, suggested to improve con-
ditions. Attention has been tallei to the
growing needs of The municipality, in va
rious directions, and the enactment Of the
law creating Greater Birmingham has
FASTENED the day when the various mat
ters will require prompt and aggressive
attention.
Financial.
A careful analysis of the auditors re-
port exhibits the fact that the total re-
airy loans from July /, 1903 to ure 80,
1909, amounts to s1,295. 1854, and dis
bursements, including temporary loans,
to s1,315 672.7S. 1t will be seen that the
disbursements for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1909, were $19, "a in excess
of receipts.
AS stated in my first message to your
honorable body on my induction into
office as Mayor, l found no funds In the
treasury and was forced to negotiate a
temporary loan of $4,000 to cover the
above ,overdraft and bridge over the time
until the tax collection period should ar
rive.
Drastic Remedies for Financial Con-
dition.
On account of loss of revenue from
the liquor traffic, your miscellaneous
committee was forced to increase licenses
and other privilege taxes which naturally
worked a hardship on some of our tax
payers. This was rendered necessary In
order to meet the loss of revenue, yet
there was a deficit between the amount
formerly collected and the sum netted
from the increase Of business
1t is a matter of congratulation that
the increase in the assessments of realty
and personal properties, and the intan-
gible tax has about wiped out that de-
icit In addition to the revenue from
increased valuation and other sources
heretofore mentioned, at the recent spe-
cial session of the legislature an amend
ment to the municipal code was enacted
which gives to the city one-half Of the