The Detroit times., 1911-04-07

Ready for Fight With Attorneys for
City Departments Who Dispute
Hally's Opinion as To the
Tax Limit.
SAYS Croul Can't Have More Than
100 Extra Patrolmen-Hot Time
Certain in Saturdays Meeting

Let them bring III all the lawyers
they want 10; We are ready for them,
declared Mayor Thompson, defiantly'
Friday morning, when informed that
some OF the heads OF the city depart
ments had consulted attorneys with "a
view 10 combating Corporation Coun-
sci Hally's opinion with reference To
the tax limit, In the meeting Wnlch
the mayor has called for Saturday
afternoon. From present indications
the meeting is going To be llVely
one.
I'VE are paying $4,000 year for
corporation counsel, continued the
mayor I'VE get our law from that
office, and | will put Mr.. Hally up
against any lawyer in the city or De
troit or any number of lawyers. or
course. you can go down on Griswold-
St and find plenty OF attorneys to dis
agree with him on any proposition. he
has had as many as % lawyers ar
rayed against him in court and still
he has come out on top. Ill bank on
Hally.'
The mayor has figured out that 1t
will be necessary TO cut only S4Ti,
1928, outside OF the necessary slash
in the sewer estimates, from the bud
get submitted TO the board OF esti-
mates by the common council to bring
the tax rate within the $40 limit. Oh
course, he will insist on much larger
cut than this, for he believes that last
years rate OF S1S.37 per thousand was
much too high. Last week the mayor
figured that cut OF about $2,5OO,OOO
would be necessary TO get the rate
down 10 $1650, the goal he seeks, and
he stands by these figures.
This is the way the mayor figures
the dope" on the $50 proposition. The
budget, as IL left the council, totals
S11. 1.65S,1S219, including bonds. For
this figure he deducts 1901 900 OF art
museum, city hospital, public library
and park and boulevard bonds, which,
under the Hally opinion. can be Is
sued outside of and without regard to
the two per cent limit. This leaves
s1O,757,1S2.19 Two per cent OF the
present assessed valuation is S7,440-
O00. This amount. plus $2,000,000 In
estimated resources and miscellaneous
revenue makes total OF $9,440,OOO,
which, according TO the mayors hg
ures. the city is allowed TO raise by
taxation this year, or 81 1,3l7 7lS2l4 less
than the net budget OF S1O,757,lS2.lS.
Deducting the $4,000, which Mr..
Hally says must come off from the
sewer bonds allowed by the common
council, from the $l,317. 1928, the dill
ference between the net budget, ex-
cluding the sewer bonds, and the
amount allowed by law is only SAT-
1919. The amount allowed by the
estimators last year was $S,357 600, or
81 ,0S3, 900 less than this years limit.
Mayor Thompson also estimates
that there Is no wlying around In the
various funds about $2,000,000 In I'M
expended balances, which he thinks
should be given consideration by the
estimators.
"All these departments are coming
in and asking for more money than
they were allowI last year when
they have money in the bank they
have not used" said his honor. THAT
IS not right Let them spend what
they've got before they talk about In
creased appropriations. There is no
use In letting the money lie around
In the banks at per cent"
The mayor pointed out, from the
records. that the board OF education
had S590,000 on hand March. /. On
the same date there was S323,000 in
the public sewer fund; $4,000 In the
grade separation fund. and $295,000 in
the general road fund. His attention
was called to the fact that these bal
ances will be greatly reduced before
the end OF the fiscal year, however.
The mayor will not stand for the
councils action In allowing Commis-
sioner Croul 200 additional policemen
lie cant have more than 100, and
he's lucky If he gets that elany," said
the mayor. II told him that to mis-
face, too realize that he needs
some more men all right, but 200 In
one year is too many. Let him take
some men from his traffic squad If he
needs them on the beats so badly"