The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-05-31
Mayor Mulch Didn't Want to
Have 1t Increased
NOR DID SOME ALDERMEN
1t Was Finally Decided to Defer Action
on the Matter Till This Evening,
When City Clerk Mackay Should
Report on New Grand List.


TO assessing of taxes for 1911 and rec
ommending that tax rate of " 80 be
levied, a five cent raise over last
years rate. This met with vigorous
opposition by the mayor, who finally
prevailed upon the council after it had
voted to adopt the resolution, fixing
the rate at So 80, to reconsider its vote
and defer action on the resolution until
special meeting which will be held this
evening
The mayor thought that the rate
should not be more than it was last
year even if the council had to curtail
some expenses as he considered it would
not be for the best interests OF the
city to raise its tax rate, Alderman
Wiley Of the finance committee stated
that it would have been possible to fix
the rate at SO 80 il 1t had not been
for six cents additional tax voted at
the city meeting and the councils vote
to pave a portion Of North Main street
and to purchase an auto fire truck.
The city clerk stated that If the
auto truck was purchased and the
North Main treet paved S2.35 tax would
not be sufficient TO bring the finances
out even at the end Of the year, as
these two items meant an addition OF
90 cents on every dollar OF the grand
| list The mayor asked if the finance
committee knew Just what the grand
list would be this year and the com
mttee reported that it did not, only
approximately The mayor then said
they ought to get the figures as 10
what the grand list will be and pos.
sibly then there might be a chance
through an increase in the grand list,
I ii it was found that there was an an.
crease, to keep the tax rate the same
as last year.
The mayor said that 1t certainly
would be a detrimeut to the city to
raise the tax and if it could not be
kept down any other way the expenses
ought to be curtailed Alderman Rossi
moved that the resolution be adopted,
as presented, and after the mayor had
put the motion twice with only one or
two of the aldermen voting either way
he called for a roll call which resulted
in the resolution being adopted, TO 2,
Alderman Thurston and the mayor vot-
ing against it. The city clerk then
stated that if the council still wanted
to see ii the rate could not be reduced
he would work all day Tuesday tabn-
lating the grand list so that the council
could see just what it would be, and
could have special meeting Wednes-
day night to discuss the question
again. Alderman Wiley thought the
clerks suggestion good one, and on
his motion the vote was reconsidered
and action deferred until the special
meeting
The mayor then brought up the
question Of the street lights, saying that
the lighting company was giving the
city very poor service; that the nights
were not kept in shape so that they
would burn every night, the police hay
ing as many as twelve lights on their
list at once that they had found not
burning, and that the lights when in
operation did not burn as brightly as
they should Alderman Rossi of the
lighting committee corroborated every
thing that the mayor said and added
that he thought that the power was
not sufficient to make the lights burn
properly
The city clerk said that the arc lights
were supposed TO burn ! ZOO candle
power but he was positive that there
was not a light that burned that power.
Alderman Thurston said that there had
never been so many kicks on the street
lights as there had been during the last
few months and he thought the kicks
were iustifable, too. He thought the
lighting committee ought to consult the
gas company and get prices of them
on lighting certain sections of the city,
and the city clerk said that he con-
sdered that a good suggestion.
The mayor requested the lighting
committee to confer with the lighting
company and find out what the trouble
was: and aIo to see the manager Of the
gas company. Alderman Mcleod said
that he talked with the local manager
for the lighting company in regard to
tie service but had got no satisfaction
out Of it. The street committee rec
commended that a gutter and a culvert
be put in on Batchelder street in place
Of the surface sewer which had been
petitioned for. and the report was ac-
cepted Building permits were granted
to ID NJ Miles to erect an addition TO
his brick block and to Reid and Calder
TO build piazza at Is Vine street
The city engineer reported that he
had made his regular Inspection of the
city's bridges and found them all in
good condition with the exception that
the Berlin street and South Main street
Bridges should be replanked and few
minor repairs made on several Others
Accepted and the recommendations or
dered carried out
The fire committee reported in favor
of granting c. W Averill & Co a
permit to move their gasolene tank
providing the tank is placed under
ground Accepted Louis Williams ap-
Piled for a permit to move a small
building from Seminary street to Pros
pect street to be used for a fruit store
Referred to. the fire committee A
notice was received from the petition
ers who requested to have French street
sprinkled that il the street committee
decided to oil the street they did not
want If and did not want anything
il they could not have water Abram
Allen applied for an ice cream parlor
license at SO S. Main street. Referred
to the license committee.