Rock Island Argus., 1916-05-22
C|TY|SS8OO SHORT
ON NEEDED MONEY
Slight Discrepancy Reported Between
Estimated Expenditures and In.
come for the Year.
SALOON LICENSE IS BIG ITEM
Officials Must Make Up S63,0OO That
Will Be Cut Oh as Result Of
Voting the Town Dry.

A discrepancy of approximately
$500 between estimated expenditures
and income is shown by estimates OF
revenues and expenses for the pres
ent fiscal year, which ends March 81,
1917, submitted today to the Moline
city council by C. V. Johnson, COM
missioner of accounts and finance.
The figures given are merely esti-
mates in both cases and are therefore
unofficial, so far as regards what will
actually be spent The estimate is
made simply as a guide to the council
as a whole in framing its annual ap-
preparation ordinance.
In addition to the loss of $4,000
from saloon licenses, the council also
faces a decrease in general taxes. In
the fiscal year ended March 81, 1915,
income from general taxes was $751;
361.31. This was the money used for
expenditure during the last year, end
ing March 81, 1916. This year the
money from general taxes which will
be available will be only S151 ,320.52
This is due to two things-the fact
that the council last year had to an
ticiate $4,000 in taxes, and to the
action Of the Illinois state legislature
which resulted in Looping off the city's
revenue from the park tax for this
year
The estimate On revenues sub
mitted by Mr., Johnson includes S62,-
1850 which may be obtained by an
ticiating receipt of general tax money
for 1916 Under the law the council
may anticipate to the extent of IS
per cent.
By anticiating the full amount, the
! commissioners can, on the basis of
/ Mr.. Johnson's estimate of expendi-
| lures, come within approximately
$500 of breaking even this year.
To Cut Expenditures.
! The council, however, in consider
ing the appropriation ordinance will
make, and is making, every endeavor
to cut expenditures as low as possible
! in the hope that it will not have to
anticipate the full rs per cent. The
less that will have to be anticipated
the better condition, financially, the
city will be in next year-and the
counci is looking ahead
! Additional revenues are in sight
for next year and if the council can
/ trim excuses to the lowest possible
basis this year, by March. 1918, the
! city should be once more practically
even with the world.
In this connection it should be
stated that the city of Moline is fun
damentally on better financial basis
than any other city in the state of Il
linois. There may be one or two ex-
! cetlons, a case where some other city
IS on the same footing as is Moline,
| but If there are exceptions they are
very few in number
| This Fundamentally sound financial
condition is due to the fact that Mo-
line is one year ahead of other cities
t IN the state SO far as use of tax money
is concerned. For years the city has
: been run on taxes collected for the
previous year In other words the
city, say in 1914, paid its expenses
from taxes for 1913; in 1915 it paid
Its expenses from tax money for 1914
during the coming year the money
that Will be sent is money collected
for taxes of 1915. When the city an
| tlcIpateS, therefore, it will simply be
using money that is to be collected for
this years taXes-sOmething that all
other cities in the state have been do
ing for years. The local council,
/ however, does not intend to allow this
condition to continue permanently, but
eXects to work back to its original
basis of being one year ahead, regard
less OF the loss of saloon revenue.
Council is Criticised.
Mr.. Johnston estimates revenue for
this year Of 1888 ,15775, and expendi-
lures of $333 ,98554 Among the
items included in the estimate of eX-
pendltures that must be made, is one
calling for $4,000 to pay off street
Improvement bonds Some criticism
i has been leveled at the council be
cause of this item. 1t has been stated
that this $4,000 was to pay off bonds,
SAID to have been issued by the coun-
Gil to pay for the River drive i'm
provement, and it has also Leen stated
that these bonds were issued without
vote Of the people. This is entirely
incorrect. The city issued no bonds
to ay for the River drive Improvement
Under the commission form of gov
ernment no bonds can be issued with
out a vote of the people. The $4,000
IN question is to pay for street i'm
provement bonds which were issued
~ years ago under the Gustav Sven
| sson administration and which fall
due during the coming fiscal year
lhese bonds were issued without a
vote OF the people, as Mr.. Swensson
was mayor under the aldermanic
| form of PnVernmant which did not