Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-01-24
STRICT ECONOMY
IS URGED FOR CITY
BY MAYOR M0TTMAN
New Executive Sends Special
Message to Council Regard
ing Olympia's Finances.
PLACES BAN ON WARRANTS.

Declares City Engineer and Con-
tractors Should Repair Water
and Fourth Streets.
Declaring 1t to be his intention not
to sign single warrant during his
administration for which no pro-
vision has been made by the levy ex-
cept in cases of urgent emergency,
Mayor George A. Mottman presented
a special message to the city council
Wednesday night setting forth the
city's financial condition.
He also called attention to the en-
gineering costs paid by the property
owners of Olympia during the last
four years and made some pointed
recommendations concerning that de-
partment. The message in part reads:
"In order to inform myself, your
Honorable Body, and the public as
well, just where Olympia is financially,
had Mr.. Holmes, our City Clerk, pro.
duce the figures for me to be able to
lay before you, our condition as find
1t upon taking the Office of Mayor of
Olympia, and here are the figures:
Bonds outstanding ....... 5000, 100000
Interest on same due .......
Old warrants ........... 100000
Interest on same ........,. 100000
Warrants drawn on current
expense fund, outstand-
ing, drawn in the last
three years ............. 63.426.39
Interest on same, approx
innate Observation-Disclosures. 1,550.00
Total debt .......... .$289, 1858
There should be deducted
for note and in
terest due for sale
of old city hall
property ........ % 5,30O.O0
Taxes levied for
1911 and prior
years remaining
unpaid ......... 2,181.38 7,481.38
Net Debt ........... .$282, ,495.01
"These figures show that there has
been issued $5o.945.01 in warrants
under the administrations Of Mayor
ing any provision to meet this debt,
Harris and Bridgeford without max
without levy or anything else-simp-
ly fioated these warrants by permit
ing the different departments to ex-
ceed their allowances and to pay for
street intersections. city hail, etc. To
my way Of financing this Is mighty
poor showing for the last two admin
istrations of our city affairs.
IF there should be any financial dis
orders in the money market our war
rants with this showing, would not
command par nor anything like 1t and
would 60 begging.
''The people of Olympia, in electing
me mayor, have put me up against a
hard proposition by expecting me to
make good against heavy odds along
every direction. The only way l can
see for the city to get out of this de-
plorable financial condition is for your
honorable body to assist me In every
way possible to observe the strictest
economy in all departments Of our
city.
1T is my intention not to sign a
single tOdrrant during my ddministr'd-
ton for Which no pr0vision Is made
by lepy or otherwise except in cases
OF urgent emergency.
II further find that the city engin-
eer's Office has cost the people Of Olym-
pia, during the years 1909, 1910, 1911
and 1912 the sum Of $25.741.92, and
that the cost of all improvements foot
up $3.50, ,094.67 during those years.
with the expenditure of this vast
sum in the last four years 1t amounts
to practically $50 per capita for pub
lie improvements and engineering
charges of nearly 81 for every man,
woman and child in town. We have
not single map showing the accurate
location of water connections, sewer
connections etc., and In as much as
the people have paid the awfully large
bills of over $4,000 for engineering,
1t seems to me that every bit of data
and surveying notes and maps for
completed and uncompleted work so
dearly paid for belongs to the people
and the city, and should be turned
back to the city by Mr.. Van Epps ana
assistant a0ith0M delay to enable the
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