The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-03-02
City Council Faces a Most Deplorable Condition
in Eliminating Depression in City Finances
Deficit of About $4,000 in Funds for
Contingent Expenses Will Ask $780,
900 for Extension of City Water
Works.-Electric Light Franchise.

What is believed to be the rtost
serious proposition that has ever con-
fronted the city council was brought
to head at the regular meeting of
the board of aldermen last night,
when two resolutions, providing for
the calling of an election, on March
20, for voting upon the question of
issuing bonds to pay the deficit ex-
listing in the revenues to pay the con-
tingent expenses of the city for the
fiscal year ending July 1, and for the
extension of the water works sys-
TEN.
The matter of the deficit is a tedi-
Gus proposition. The state constitu-
tion provides limit of ten mills tax
for the contingent expenses Of the
city. A ten mill levy on the assessed
valuation of Yinita yields, in round
numbers, $25,O00 The city gets addi-
tional revenue from the water works
and other sources of about $4,000,
making the total revenue for the
year about $2S,OOO. 1t is found that
conservative estimate of the ex-
penses for the fiscal year will be about
$4,000, leaving deficit of $4,000,
which the city has no funds to pay.
The constitution in section 26, article
10, provides a means for the city to
pay such deficit by issuing bonds.
In order to make such an issue legal,
| it will require the consent of three
fifths of the voters voting at special
election.
The bond course is thought to be
the only way to eleminate most de-
plorable condition in the finances of
the city.
The present administration inherit
ed an Indebtedness accruing from con-
tracts made by the former administra-
tion for street crossings and other
public improvements, which they were
unable to provide for under the con-
stitutional limit of ten mill levy. Be
fore the bond election it will be nee
essary for the city officials to pre-
pare statement of the receipts and
expenditures of the city to show that
the funds were expended in a legiti-
mate way. This will require care
full review of all of the appropriation
ordinances of the last year.
The other bond issue will be for
the expenses of enlarging the city
water reservoir, drilling additional
wells and extending the mains to meet
the requirements Of the rapidly grow
ing city. The memory of the long
drought of last summer, when the
water supply was insufficient to meet
the demands will cause this bond is
sue to meet with ready favor. This
issue will require only a majority
vote to legalize it, whereas the other
issue will require three-fifths of the
6nLlre NOIe.
In addition to the discussion of the
bond issues the council disposed of
the usual routine business of making
the monthly appropriations, etc.
The monthly reports of the various
city officers were received and referr-
ed to the finance committee,
/
The street and alley committee sub
mitted proposed contract with ]. G.
Gray for sweeping and sprinkling the
streets for a period of one year. The
consideration was $225 per month, the
city to furnish the sweeper and Mr..
Gray the necessary sprinklers. AS the
contract was not specific enough in
regard to the streets to be swept, it
was referred to the committee for re-
consideration.
A petition for water crane or hyd-
rant, in the northeast portion of the
city to supply water to a nonresident