The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1914-01-02
COMMITTEE OF
CITY COUNCIL
HAVE REPORT
Audit of Accounts Covered I'M
pr0vements for Years 1910,
1911 and 1912-City Engi-
neer Johnson Explains Errors
Charged to His Office We're
Due to Clerical Mistakes in
Bookkeeping.

accountants report to have ben lost
to the city through the fault of the
city treasurer is explained as follows
by City Treasurer Pratt:
while my books always show the
true and accurate amounts on hand
in the funds of the city, it is no fault
of mine if the administrations of the
past have so far overdrawn the gener-
al or other funds that | have paid out
money belonging to other funds in
stead of putting the finance commit
tee to the unnecessary trouble of bor-
rowing money from the banks to
serve to keep the funds intact. 1t
seems to me that the interest must
be paid on outstanding orders, and it
matters little where the money
comes from so long as the funds
find their proper position on the books
of the city clerk and myself. In fact
believe that the way that l. have.
handled the funds I have saved the
city considerable money by not per-
hitting the money to lie idle when
warrants were out against the whole
funds, and that they could have been
handled in no other way when the
levies have been insufficient te meet
the obligations and expenditures"
Overpayments to paving contrac-
tors, involving the firms of H. l..
Bartlett & Co. and P. Mcdonnell, the
latter of Duluth, for work done on
city contracts during the years 1910
to 1912, totaling $4,768.01, property
owners over-assessed and under as
sessed for improvements, improve
ments entirely omitted from the as
sessment rolls by the appraisers COM
mittee appointed by the city coun-
Gil, property owners overcharged and
undercharged on assessments and in
terest overpaid on the city's floating
Indebtedness, are indicated in the final
report of Mellis-Pirie & Co., expert
accountants, now in the hands of the
finance committee of the city council
which will be made pubic at the next
regular meeting of the city council.
The audit Of Mellis-Pirie & Co
covers the improvements for the
years 1910, 1911 and 1912 and was
recently completed after the account
ants and their representatives hae
been engaged practically all of tht
time since last May in the work. Th'
total findings of the accountants in
volving various departments amoun
to $1O,666.53. This amount Of none!
in the various amounts in which l
is apportioned is recoverable by tn
city or by the property owners con
cerned.
The finance committee will max
it's report to the city council mex
Tuesday evening. The figures of tn
accountants will be changed in som
particulars by re-check now beln
conducted.
For overpayments to contractor
the city engineers office is held re
sponsible. City Engineer Johnso
explains that they were due to cier
cal errors in a transfer Of the book
and that the firms affected stan
ready to reimburse the city for a
overpayments made them. The STATE
ment of City Treasurer Pratt effe'
lively explains the interest overpa!
ment charges and is printed at tf
head of this article.
The report Of the accountants
summarized as follows:
Overpaid to paving contractor
from 1910 to 1912, $4,768.O1.
Property owners over-assessed Il
improvements by appraisers con
mittee appointed by the city counci
On 1911 assessment roll, $507.8
on 1912 assessment roll, $4,000; tot
$557.75.
Property owners under assessed
appraisers: On 1911 assessment 70
S167.04; on 1912 assessment reo 70
$374.12; sanitary sewer Anderson