Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-05-04


probably the most important being the
financial condition of the municipality
at this time The new mayor also
made a number of recommendations,
as did Mr.. Van Orsdel, the retiring
mayor. Both addresses follow:
Gentlemen of the Council: Pursu-
ant to a provision of the city charter,
which provides that the mayor shall,
at the first meeting in May of each
year, deliver to the council message
setting forth a detailed statement of
the financial condition of the city
and containing such recommendations
for the administration of affairs as
he may see fit to make, l desire at
this time to call your attention to a
few matters which l consider to be of
paramount importance.
Permit me to say at the outset that
the financial condition of the city is
far from satisfactory or desirable.
Examination of the records discloses
the unwelcome fact that although
more than one-half of this years tax
has been collected, the amount of
outstanding warrants at the present
time is greater than the remainder
of the tax to be collected. In other
words, gentlemen of the council, you
are face to face with an empty treas
ury. In the figures that 1 shall pre-
sent for your consideration, it will be
shown that the city will have to work
without money until tax collecting
time next year, a period of nine
months This is condition of affairs
that should command your best
thought and energy, to the end that
the Indebtedness we must necessarily
incur may be kept down to the lowest
notch consistent with an efficient ad-
ministration of the city's affairs.
The total tax raised for the general
fund for the year ending December
81, 1914, amounted to $S,S00. This
required a levy of S-11 mills. In
addition to this tax, the council re-
ceived $5,4OO from saloon licenses
giving it a total of $14,200 for the
general fund. OF this total, $4,000
was applied to the payment of out
standing warrants of the year before
1t will thus be seen that the council
received and spent $4,000 for gener-
al expenses last year. This amount
does not include the city's share OF
the county road fund, which amounted
to more than $4,500. Neither does 1t
include the amounts levied and spent
for special purposes such as interest
and principal on water bonds sewer
bonds, armory bonds. and other spec
ial taxes voted by the people them
selves. To these special funds, | shall
refer later. What / desire to make
clear is, that city expenses taken from
the general fund alone last year
amounted to $4,000. In addition to
this amount, the council contracted
warrant indebtedness of $4,000.
This Indebtedness will have to be paid
out of this years tax. The greater
amount of it has already been so
paid
OF the $500 levied for the general
fund this year, all but S3,S0O has
been collected and disbursed by the
retiring council. From this remain
ing $3,SOO, the following debts must
yet be paid: Outstanding indorsed
warrants, $2,063 Chitty saloon license
rebate, $3.50; amount due city library
1850, or a total of $3,563. Running
expenses of the city from the date
when the foregoing figures were com
piled to this date (May 81 will approx,
innate $500 more. 1t will be noted
that not only has all of this years
tax been spent, but we are actually in
debt at the present time. All that the
city has left to carry it to tax collect
! ing time next year is the authority
granted by the charter to contract in
debtedness-and this Indebtedness i:
limited to $4,000.
| AS the running expense for the neXf
nine months will approximate $500 E
month, Cif no unforeseen emergency
arises), the citys finances will have
to be managed with a prudent hand
if we would hope to keep within th'
| $4,000 Indebtedness limit. Had thu
retiring council levied a tax to replace
the $5400 loss of saloon license, i
might have been possible to worl
through this year without contracting
additional Indebtedness. But as mat
ters stand, the new council will hav'
to work for nine months with an emp
ty treasury / would suggest tina
you prepare yourselves, and the citi
zens at large, to expect the heavies
tax levy for 1916 ever known in thu
history of Dallas.
Water Fund-Of the original issu'
of $4,000 water bonds, $1,000 hai
been paid and bonds to this amour
retired. The charter requires that
water tax be levied annually to cove
one-twentieth of the principal of th'
original issue and to pay the interes
on bonds outstanding. The tax fo
the present .-ear was l 2-10 mills
Amount on h. nd in this fund apple
able to payment of principal. s2,50O
! Voted by the people.
Armory Fund-Outstanding war