Valdez daily prospector., 1915-12-22
NEW ORDINANCE
 RUSHED THROUGH
Resolution Is Introduced to Make Money Available for Appeal
 of the, Tax Cases.

] Gunther and thomas, "... .uayol Boyle, answered to their names when the roll was called last night at the meeting of the Valdez City council. 1 After passing city bills to the amount of $138.16, for which war rants were ordered drawn, bills to- taling $145 were submitted from the law firm of Donohoe & Dimond, that being the court costs in the various cases decided against the city in the recent litigation. City Attorney Hub bard was present and expressed the belief that two of the bills were ex- cessive.
 | Councilman Ethical contended that as the statement had been certified by Clerk of the Court Arthur Lang it could be accepted by the council as being correct. The bills were allow ed to go over until the next regular meeting and Judge Hubbard was in- structed to verify the statements.
 The ordinance to repeal Section II of Ordinance No. 80 was given it's sec- ond and third reading and was ap- proved by the mayor. The ordinance met with opposition from Council men Ethical and Thomas. Ethical asked for information and was en- frightened by Judge Hubbard who stat ed that the recent tax litigation in which the city had been involved was entirely due to the section which the new ordinance would eliminate. He said that the section had no legal precedence and had been ordered stricken from the tax ordinances by the Oregon state legislature. The elimination of the section could not deprive property owners who had been unjustly dealt with by the board of equalization in securing. re- dress as the laws provided a remedy. It would, however, prevent appeals from the board of equalization being taken before the district court with out due process as in the recent tax cases brought under Ordinance No. 80. Ethical and Thomas voted against the passage of the ordinance.
 Councilman Hockey introduced a resolution authorizing the town treas urer to draw two warrants of five hundred dollars each, to be made available for the mayor or acting mayor in meeting expenses which are expected to be incurred in taking ap- peals in certain tax cases to the court of appeals Councilman Ethical wanted to know which cases would be appealed but did not receive the desired information. He then ob- |jected to the money being turned over to anyone, declaring that 1t was Improper for any one man to have the right to expend $1,000 of the city's money without it passing through the regular channels. The resolution did not look right to him and it was changed to read ito be held by the treasurer" The money not used in carrying the cases to the circuit court of Appeals is to be turn led back to the city treasury.
 The matter was referred to the fin ance committee and will be acted upon at the next regular meeting of the council. It is understood that the resolution was introduced to have the warrants drawn now while the mon ey is in the city treasury, which will probably not be the case before the term of the present council expires.
 The treasurer's report showed that personal property taxes to the amount of $55 remained unpaid and the city marshal was instr.----- to proceed with the collection of same as by or din anoc 1aH0Nidod