The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-04-02
ANNUAL REPORT Of MAYOR
| MOORHEAO IS MADE PUBLIC

I'LL 0O6 OO6UO
work Will be concluded BY the time
the new bridge is ready for public use.
City Finances.
City finances are in a deplorable
condition because of the overdrafts
on number of important funds. The
exact status Of these funds is set forth
IN the reports OF the superintendent
OF finance and of the city clerk. The
problem. though hard one to solve,
is not a hopeless one. Each succeed.
Ing council Is confronted with the al
tentative OF refusing to make needed
public improvements and curtailing ad-
m1n1strat1Ve expenses at the risk Of
seriously crfppling the efficiency OF
the public service or permitting the
deficit to continue. The proper course
to pursue, 1t seems to me, is a middle
one. 1t will not do to stop public i'm
rrovements entirely. Neither should
the city attempt to get along without
necessary precautions to safeguard
the health, efficiency. lives and prop
erty Of It's citizens. These things must
be conserved, but enough money
should be set apart each year to
make an appreciable reduction Of the
floating public debt. In this way few
years would suffice for its extinction.
This policy will necessarily lessen
public improvem tents for time, but
will not prohibit those most urgently
needed.
1t should be possible also to in
crease the available resources of the
general fund by imposing certain
special taxes, as is contemplated by a
number of Iowa municipalities as a
means Of compensating themselves in
part for the loss of the mulct tax. Pool
and billiard rooms could be called up
on to pay larger license fees, and es-
Establishments selling soft drinks, now
untaxed, as such, could be added to
the list Of revenue producers. These
are cited simply as Illustrations OF
possibilities in this line. But when
all additions to the revenue have been
made that can be made, the chief gain
must still be looked for In the matter
OF lessened expenditures. The COM
munity at large can cooperate with
the city council in the attainment OF
this desired end by looking the situa-
ton squarely in the face and re-
framing from insistence on public i'm
provements not absolutely needed at
the time.
Home Rule.
The Iowa law as 1t stands not only
limits the total number of mills tax
that can be levied by a municipality,
which is perfectly proper as a safe
guard against onerous and oppressive
taxation, but 1t also limits the amount
of levy for each particular fund. Ex-
perience has shown this latter provis-
ion to be prejudlcial to the best inter-
ests Of many municipalities, including
Keokuk. Take the grading fund as an
example. The law limits the rate to
mills for this purpose. II all Iowa
cities and towns were located on level
prairies, as some Of them are, this
rate would in all probability be suf-
ficient to meet the yearly demands.
But it is wholly inadequate in mum
icipalities like Keokuk where hills
must be cut down and ravines filled
The general fund is another instance
wherein the hard and fast rule ex.
acted by the state legislature works
great Inconvenience and even hard
ship. Under the law the levy cannot
exceed 10 mills. This yields about
$4,000 to 100000. Receipts from
miscellaneous sources can be made
to aggregate $4,000 to $1,000 addition
al, making total Of $4,000 to S31 900
in round numbers. For a number OF
years the legitimate expenses charge
able to this fund have been about
$4,000 to $4,000 The discrepancy
between above figures was met by
- bo r,,,,1ct
which is no longer available. The
last legislature was appealed to to
permit a rate Of more than 10 mills
for general fund purposes. with cor
responding reduction in other funds
If found necessary, thus keeping the
levy within the limit for the total
levy for all funds. but although no
increase in taxation was necessarily
involved, the legislature refused this
reasonable request. The instances are
cited to show the need of larger
measure of home rule on the part OF
iowa municipalities. AS l stated in
nv annual report for 1914-15, mo
state legislature, however good its
Intentions. is qualified to deal intel
ligently with municipal problems
arising in Keokuk and other Iowa
municipalities. 1t ts simply impos-
sible for a heterog enous collection OF
lawmakers at Des Moines to foresee
ali our needs or make iron-clad pro-
vision In advance for emergencies
that may arise. The result is a waste
of legislative time and effort and the
substitution of inefficiency for eff
ficiency ON the part Of the municipal
ity." The remedy lies in concerted
efrort nv Iowa cities and towns to