The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-16
$1s,OOO.OO

REQUIRED for police
Required for park
fund ...... 500 SO
Required for road
and bridge ... 1856 SS
fund .............. 1927 .2s
Total ... 1871 IL
Net resources 49,. $l2,7S1 IL
Besides this it Is evident that
$1803.55 will not be sufficient to con.
duct the permanent Improvement
fund for this year, and that public
necessity will require that we draw
from the general fund to assist this
fund There are a great many ex-
fund; so that this fund will bear a
heavy burden for the balance of the
year.
Water Works Fund.
81 quote with pleasure the words
of the auditors report:
Attention is called to the very
satisfactory results as shown by the
figures in this fund The total water
rents collected amount to $15,69387
as compared with $13,163.0S last
close of the present year were only
$225.21 whereas last year they
amounted to $1,4S29O. The result
of this satisfactory condition of af-
fairs is that this fund. has been able
to make extra payments of $7,338.66
over and above the years operating
expenses. These extra payments
consist of the following:
Bond repaid, Agency hill wa
ter works .................. 1900. 90
Loan repaid to geenral fund. ] 800 90
Recommendations
Zone. Washington Park-You will
notice from the auditors report that
the city is still indebted in the sum
of $S,040 on contract for deed for
the Washington park property. I
realize that it is impossible at the
present time to take care of this in,
debtedness and to secure a deed of
this property; but l sincerely hope
that during the two years Of our ad-
ministration we will be able by close
economy and business tactics to
manage SO as to secure enough sur
| plus to have this debt wiped out, so
that the city may own Washington
Park free of incumbrance.
1.-TWO, Lighting. important prob
lem that confronts us is the ques-
ton of lighting our city. Our con.
tract with the Consumers Power
company will expire this fall.
strongly recommend that this ques
ton be taken up at an early date,
| and be given the attention and con,
| sideration which is due it, In the
last fiscal year the city paid $9,S65.72
for street lighting alone. This shows
| the Importance of the question. | be
lieve the first step taken should be
| to ascertain the very best rates that
can be secured from the Company
under new contract; and then a
thorough investigation by the coun
Gil of the reasonableness and just
ice of such rates.
"This matter should be- attended
| to at once, so that we can make
other arrangements in case we are
unable to obtain rates that are just
and reasonable. Nothing can be
gained by waiting; and by delaying
we may be placed in a forced and
very undesirable position.
Three. Armory.-Another matter
that has been brought to our atten
tion is the matter of securing an
armory for our militia. The state
stands ready to appropriate to us
| $4,000 if we furnish site and
| $1,000 The militia stands ready to
raise the $1,000. This leaves only
the procurement of the site for us
in order to get an armory erected
in our city. Such an armory is need
ed not only for drilling, but for pub
lie meetings and conventions. II
seems almost necessity for us to
have it, and it would be well if the
matter would receive early and fav
orable consideration.
-Four City Hall.-Another seri
GUS problem confronting us is the
erection of new city hail. AS you
know this is a question of imperative
necessity. Your attention has al
/ ready been called to the law passed
by the last state legislature which
authorizes bond issue not to ex
coed $4,000 for this purpose, by g
vote of the people. The first step is
the selection of the site; the second
is the disposal of the present hall
and the third is the issue of bonds
] All three of these matters must be
borne in mind at all times, for soon
err or later this problem will require
immediate solution
Five. Detention Hospital.-It has
been strongly urged, and with good
reason, that our city should have a
proper detention hospital. The pre-
liminary steps have already been
taken and we have secured piece
of property for $4,000 which will
make an excellent site for such hos
pital. This property was bought al
a very reasonable price; but we
must remember that this price is
now debt and it is up to us to pay
/ out of this years business at least
the sum of $500 which we owe
above the $500 mortgage. note
|