Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-25
COUNCIL To URGE
CITY HALL SALE
Finance Committee Adopts ReSo-
luton Which Will Be Sub
mitted for Approval
SHOWS DANGERS IN DELAYING
Report Says Amendment to State
Constitution Necessary to
Proposed Coalition
SHOWS DANGERS IN DELAYING

Urging the electors Of the city to pass
the measure providing for the sale of
the present city hall site, the finance
committee of the council yesterday pre-
pared a report, which will be presented
at the next meeting of the council. The
communication lays bare the attitude
of the council toward the proposed
plan, setting forth it's opposition to
waiting until such time as an act of a
legislature will make the consolidation
of the city and county a fact before
building an administrative building,
since until that time the city will be
forced to pay rental for quarters to
house the municipal family outside of
the present city hall. 1t is estimated
that the rentals thus paid would more
than equal the cost of a suitable build
ing.
The report goes on to say:
THE REPORT
Your committee de Jires to cal Sc
rious attention to the city hall mat
ter. Following out the Mulford
Robinson plans for ''city beauti-
full" the last city council purchased
the Temple block as site for the
new city hall. In this action they
T6celN6u liz SupPOAI VI IilS StioAANNA
of commerce and other civic organ
ixations. The location of the mu-
nicipal building may therefore be
considered as settled unless the tax
payers wish to consider that prop
erty as an investment.
About the time the city had it's
plans for the aqueduct under con-
sideration a charter amendment was
framed and adopted by the people
prohibiting the council from leas-
ing, selling or otherwise disposing
of the power incident to the aque-
duet without a two-thirds vote CT
the people Through an erroneous
wording of this amendment enough
doubt was thrown upon the lower
of tire council to dispose of any real
estate belonging to the city to cloud
the title OF property so transferred,
which was never intended.
VOTE ON JULY 80
The council, therefore, in obedi-
ence to what it believes to nave
been the expressed wish of the peo-
pie, is endeavoring to carry out
their intentions, and as prellm1n-
ary it is asking authority at the
election to be held on the goth IN
stant to sell the city hall property
whenever in it's judgment 1t may
deem necessary.
It's purpose, when such authority
is granted, is to sell the same when
ever an adequate price can be OBJ
tanned, possibly this year or next,
and then by a tax levy of approx
mateIy 3 cents on the $100 for the
next two or three years, which can
be done without in any way In
creasing the taxes which the people
have heretofore paid, produce
dc fn ira-nr0Of
office building that will be credit
to the city and, as before stated,
without any increase in taxation.
TWO-THIRDS VOTE
The seriousness of the situation is
caused by the fact that 1t requires
an affirmative vote of two-thirds of
all the votes cast at the election,
and not two-thirds of the votes
cast upon that proposition, there
fore a person voting on other pro-
posals and not on the question or
the city hall site is equivalent to
vote against the measure. Objec-
ton has been raised that it is de-
cirable to await the time When
consolidation of the city and county
has been completed. This is not
practical suggestion, for the reason
that such consolidation cannot take
place under our present state con-
Stitution.
1t is probable that should we wait
until the necessary amendment is
made. the rentals of the city for
quarters outside the present city
hall. which are already large, would
more than equal the entire cost OF
the new city hall.
The situation therefore sums up
as follows: A site has been pur-
chased for the new city hall, and
the remainder of the payments
must be met. The only way the
construction can be carried out
without a bond issue Is by the
method proposed or by the levying
Of taxes for the next seven or eight
years for the purpose of accumu-
iating the funds.
Under the circumstances, If this
vote is unfavorable, the hands Oh
the council will be tied, and we can
see no good reason for the people
withholding this authority.