The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-04
PLAN OF CITY
COMMISSION
Continued From Page One.

Continued From Page One.
we show on all the cards the years
paid up to April Is, 1914. That we
divide the city into three districts,
known as improvement district Nos. 1,
2 and 8; improvement district No. /,
being that part of the city north from
the center Of Seventh venue, north,
including a Grove addition; No. 2,
that part Of the city between the main
line of the N. P. railway n the
center Of Seventh avenue north, to a
line east to Oak Grove addition; dis
trict No. 3, being all hat part of the
city south Of the main line of the N.
P. railway tracks. That all moneys
for improvements in each district be
kept by itself.
AS most Of the Improvement dis
tricts' time Of payment has expired,
or will in a very few years, it will
eventually simplify our Improvement
system down to three districts.
Respectfully submitted, H. F.
Emery, president of the city; Alex
Stern, commissioner Of finance.
A Big Undertaking.
This redistricting of Fargo is one Of
the biggest things hat has ever been
attempted in the history of the city's
government.
At the present time there are some
thing like twenty-four improvement
districts In Fargo. These districts
were provided to are for the hand
ling. of. special improvements. such as
sewers, laying. Of watermains, paving,
etc. .. s.
Whenever there were new improve
ments to be made in one section of the
city, that section was set off into an.
m ROVE n ont Hjrfffaf nVh nrr+ 80 ~
improvements was then taxed against
the property in that district by special
1t was the intention Of
the law to keep the funds raised in
one district for the express purpose of
aging for the work done in that dis
trict.
For one reason or another, however,
this has not been done in Fargo. 1t
was not an easy task to keep. these
funds all separate. Sometimes there
would be warrants due against one
fund, and that fund would happen to-
be short, while there would be a sur
plus in the fund of some other dis
trict.
1t became the custom to take the
funds Of one district to pay the debts
of another district.
1t might be .eplained that the reas-
ons for a shortage In a fund were
various. Sometimes 1t was because
the interest was not correctly
After a lapse of a number of
years, there would be a sudden real
ization that the interest had been in
to meet all the payments in,
q certain district. At other times it
was because n or more Of the prop
erty owners In a certain district would
elect to pay all their assessments for
improvements in a lump sum-,
than spread it over a term Of
years as is the custom. This would
cause an overplus in the funds OF
district This over supply would
be used to pay the shortage in some
other district, which Of curse left a.
shortage In the first mentioned dis
later on.
This mixing OF the funds had left
the special improvement finances in a
tumble.
To get the matter Strengthened out
as nearly as possible it was decided
redistrict Fargo, and as stated in
the resolution printed herewith, to
make an abstract Of every piece of real
in the city. This is a big task,
but when completed the city will know
exactly where 1t stands in every de-
tail of its finances.
In the place Of the tWenty-four
scattered districts, with their tumble OF
assessments, there will be three peg-
manent districts.
The moun due against all prop
erty for special assessments will be.
then known and the commission x
poets to get this matter straightened
out by April Is, 1914. Tt will then be
an easy matter to- keep all future as
sessments straight