The Alaska citizen., 1914-04-13
CITY HAS Good
OUTLOOK IN A
FINANCIAL WAY
CITY CLERK PAUL. SAYS INCOME
WILL PAY EXPENSES AND
SHORTAGE.

Financial conditions of The city
are really much better than peopie
generally suppose, according to the
opinion of City Clerk PAUL.. Mr.
PAUL. believes that with careful
management, the present council Will
bring the city OUT of debt by the
end of its administration,
The work of completing finan
cial statement of the city's condi
| tons is now progressing. and will
be completed by the tine The new
council holds it's first regular meet
ing, next Friday night.
Although the exact amount of the
city's Indebtedness is no. fully as
certained. it is known that it will
be in the vicinity of about $4,000
A year ago the Indebtedness was
about $1,000, thus it has increased
since that time about $4,000. This
Increased Indebtedness is the result
of several necessary improvements,
and it is not expected that as much
will have to be spent for improve
ments during the new adminlstra-
ton as in the last
The city has begun legal action
to collect back taxes, and # this is
accomplished, a material fund will
he added to the finances Tat Will
be available for use by the present
council Al the present time there
are back taxes due the city of about
$4,000. Then there will be due
from the federal taxes and licenses
a total of about $4,000 by Septem-
her l. which does MOI include the
dockage fees it is expected that the
CITY will receive from the Northern
Navigation company as result Of
tax cases to be heard before the
court of appeals in San Francisco
next month, which will amount to
about $4,000
In addition to the foregoing there
will be about $4,000 due the city
from federal sources for the last
quarter of this year. Then, too,
city taxes will be due again early
in next year, and this will be avail
able for use by the present city
council
The outgoing council settled up
all its affairs at a meeting held
last Friday night and following
its session the incoming council met
and reelected Murray Smith mayor.
This is said to be the first time
n the city's history that a mayor
has succeeded himself.
The last session of the old council
was marked by a heated discussion
with Councilman Callahan on one
side and Councilman Hess on the
other. Callahan had moved that the
bill for meals for election officials
be laid on the table until the meeting
Of the new council, next Friday
night, but Hess opposed it on the
ground that the bill included meals
for people who were not election
officials
This led to personalities between
the councilmen, but after some argu-
ment Councilman Mcdonald insisted
that the extra meals be stricken
off the bill, and that with this change
it be ordered paid. This sug-
gestion was carried out.
In a report filed by John ]. Buck
ley, fire chief, it was stated that
the municipal building is in bad
condition as the result of some of
the timbers which support 1t having
decayed. The council laid the re-
port on the table for the use OF the
incoming council at lis meeting this
| week
In another report by Mr. Buckley
it was stated that the loss in the
city by fire during the last year was
about $4,000 OF this amount about
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