The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-02-03
SEVERAL AMENDMENTS DECIDED
ON BY BOARD.
These win Be Submitted to the
People at the Municipal Election;
Cuts the Expense of Publishing
Financial Statement; loaning of
Cne Fund to Another; the Front
age Tax.
rom Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
The charter commission held n
meeting with the city council, city
attorney and city engineer last night,
and agreed upon five amendments 10
coming spring election. The commits.
sion viii meet again next Monday
night to formally adopt the amend
ments, after G. o. Daley, attorney
for the commission, and City Attor-
ncy Miles Porter have drawn them
up so that they will fit into the
charter properly. The amendments
all relate 10 the financial end Of the
city government. One is to correct
an error in the wording OF the char
Ter. and four have been found to be
advisable as a result of the practical
working OF the machinery of the
charter. Like any other piece OF
new machinery, adjustments have 10
he made 10 have il run with the least
possible friction. 1t is remarkable
thing that these are the only impor-
tant changes found desirable.
Will Cut the Expense.
The first amendment agreed upon
will cut out the necessity of publish
ing a full and detailed financial re-
port every month. This has been
found expensive. Instead of this, Il
summary of the report will be pub
lished, but the full report must be
made out and placed on file with
the city recorder, where any citizen
may see il and where the papers can
get any information that they desire
for publication rs news. This will
give full publicity to city affairs,
without making ii cost the city sew
cral hundred dollars year
Another amendment does away
with the necessity of the different
funds returning to the general fund
what has been borrowed from that.
1t appears that the receipts of the
general fund amount to about $780,
coo year at present. while the eX-
penditures are about $4,000 This
leaves 100000 in one year, which at
present can be loaned to the other
funds. but this money must be paid
back IN the next tax levy AT the
end of the first year there would he
$2C.GGG in the general fund, at the
end OF the second year $4,000, and
the end Of the third year 100000, etc.
The amendment adopted last night
provides that transfers may be
made from the general fund TO the
other funds. from time to time as
needed, and this money need not be
paid back. In this way there will be
no great and unnecessary accumula-
ton in the general fund and the
bookkeeping will be simplified.
The Frontage Tax.
Another amendment provides that
the water mains frontage tax shall
be placed in the waterworks fund,
instead Of in the sinking fund. where
the charter now requires that ii
shall be placed. In this way the
money can Ec used to pay for more
extensions. II takes two amendments
30 accomplish this change.
Another amendment reduces the
levy that must be made for the sink
ing fund. The charter, through some
error, provides for levy of five
mills for this purpose. which would
provide about $4,000. and in seven
years or less The entire bonded in
debtedness would be paid off. The
amendment agreed upon provides
that there must be a levy of at least
enc mill made for this purpose,
which will bring in about $1,000 a
year. In addition to this, five per
cent of all license fees must go
into the fund, which means $500
more. II was thought that this was
about as fast as the bonded indebt.
edncss ought to be paid off. At this
rate it will be paid off in a quarter
Of a century. But if it is desirable
TO pay it off faster, the council has
authority to make a higher levy.
The city officials had no other
amendments to offer, and felt that
with these amendments adopted the
charter will be about as near per-
feet as possible for present needs.
Need More Copies of Charter.
The supply OF copies of the city
charter has run out, and there are
requests from different cities every