Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-09-21
VETO POWER.
Mayor Lamont Runs Blue Pencil
Through City Hall Proposition.

| "AN 10 oCll cApldidOOl9
10 the Honorable the Common Council.
GENTLEMEN
AT the adjourned meeting of Sep
| TENDER 18th the council passed the
following resolution:
'WAUsAU, Wis, Sept. 10th, 1909
WHEREAS, The sentiment of the
citizens and taxpayers seems to be
against building a city hall at the
present time, and
WHEREAS, other public improve
ments are much more needed, there
| fore be it
Resolced, by the mayor and common
council that the question of building
new city hall shall be submitted to
vote of the people at the next munic-
ipal election to be held in April, 1910"
| hereby return the resolution with
out my approval. have made search
OF the city records to get the proceed
ings that lead up to the present city
hall fund and | find substantially as
follows:
At the council meeting held on Feb
ruary Bird, 1903, a committee was APP
pointed ito look up and secure options
on suitable site for new city hail."
On March Bird this committee made
a report in which six possible sites
were proposed and of the six the
council chose the so-called market
square site.
On April 10th, 1903, the council ac-
cepted the options on several parcels
of land adjoining the market square
the purchase price being 81, sol. The
agreement as shown by the minutes
of this meeting being in part as fol-
lows: Conditioned that the city of
Wausau will within ten years erect
upon the market square site city |
hall and in the event that the city |
shall fail to erect said hall within ten
years that the city shall forfeit its |
interest in said property and that the
parties shall be entitled to reconyey- |
ance of the same upon payment to the |
city of the amount of the regular pur-
chase price"
For many years prior to this action
of the council the city had been carry
ing bonded Indebtedness of $4,000 |
ON the water works plant and to meet |
a part of this debt when it became |
due there had been created so-called |
Striking fund amounting in 1905 to |
So, 900. To meet the payment of the |
water bonds the bonds were refunded,
and the $4,000 in the sinking fund |
was not used for the purpose for which |
it was intended.
On July 5th, 1905, the council trans |
ferred the $25, 900 in the sinking fund |
to the general fund, and on September |
9Th, 1905, a resolution was introduced |
to create new city hall fund and to |
transfer $25, 900 from the general fund |
to the new city hall fund. This reso-
luton was laid over to special meet |
ing held on September 10Th, 1905. |
Hon. Z. G.. Zimmerman, mayor, in a
message at this meeting, in discussing |
the resolution and the proposed new |
ieity hall, said in part: 1.-THE main |
question or the one which presents |
the greatest difficulty is that of dis
tributing the burden over the six |
years intervening before the refunding |
and improvement bonds begin to come |
due. There is now due from the |
school fund to the city about $4,000 |
in round numbers. | suggest that |
this amount be transferred to the city |
hall fund 1t would not be necessary |
to pay this money Immediately, as it |
would not be necessary to use it for |
year from the present time. By max
ing a provision in the tax levy Of the /
present year Of $4,000 and for the tax
levy of 1906 of $4,000 this would pro
vide fund of $4,000 without increas
ing the present levy. The $4,000 ow-
ing by the school board could be taken |
care of by bond issue and the entire
amount thereof distributed over the |
remaining four years. )"
The council accepted the mayors
suggestion in all particulars except |
that it transferred but $4,000 from
the general fund to the city hal fund.
The balance of the $4,000 now in
the city hall fund came from the tax
levies of 1905 and 1906.
The city records clearly show that |
it was the intention of the council |
that made provision for the city hall |
to build it in 1906 and this intention |
is further shown by the contract |
which was entered into by j. j.
Jogerst, architect, in November. 1903,
wherein the council accepted his plans |
and specifications for a city hall and
paid him $500 as first payment on the |
whole amount of 81, 800 which he was |
to receive.
On November It'll, 1905, special |
committee of the council and the |
board of public works were by resolu-
ton directed to advertise for bids for
the erection of the city hall as soon as
Mr.. Jogerst had the specifications
completed. On January 10th, 1905, this
committee asked for more time, as the
specifications had not been completed.
From that time there seems to be
nothing of Importance in the record.
1t is clear from the record that the
present fund of $500 stands in the
nature of trust fund and cannot be
used for any other purpose We may
be able to borrow from it from time