The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-08-29
COUNCIL VOTE DIVIDED 81
IN ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS
THoNER REFUSES TO VOTE FoH
BLANKET APPROPRIATION
ORDINANCE.
Eress, Habig, Arnbreoht ana Thompson
Insist Also on rtemtxed
Report

By a vote Of s to /, city council last
evening passed q blanket appropriation
ordinance authorizing City Manager G.
/ o. Maggie to make expenditures in con-
Quoting the affairs Of the city for 1917
Is totalling $485039. The dissenting
vote was cast by Councilman-at-Large
! Thomas F. Thoner. who explained that
! with all due respect to the opinion of
| City Solicitor NJ. J. Cullinan, he did
not believe that 1t was legal for council
to pass an appropriation ordinance with
out first having submitted to the men,
bers Of council and published for the
information Of the public an itemized
statement OF the proposed expenditures.
Notwithstanding n Get-together ses-
sion held in the office Of City Manager
| G. o. Magic for an hour and q quarter
before council convened in public ses-
! sion. sharp difference developed be-
tween a faction composed Of at least
| Councilman A. I. kress, Ambrose F.
| Habig. DR.. E. L. Armbrecht and Thomas
! F. Thoner on one side and City Manager
Maggie and his supporters on the other.
kress, Thoner. Habig and Armbrccht
| insisted that before the appropriation
ordinance be passed. they should have
, from Mr.. Maggie an itemized statement
of the proposed expenditures. including
! the salaries proposed for each official
| and employee. The other faction held
that it was sufficient to publish only
! the totals of expenditures prepared for
| each department
Should Pass Last Night.
At a meeting two weeks ago, q mo-
ton. offered by Councilman Thomp-
son. was passed, providing that copies
of an itemized statement Of the pro-
posed expenditures be furnished each
councilman before this evening.
/ When the blanket appropriation was
, introduced last evening. Mr.. Thoner in
CURED why the city manager had not
complied with the request. Mayor {. NJ.
Vestcr suggested that IL council wished
; such an itemtzed statement, 1t could
! adjourn until another evening when the
! appropriation ordinance could be taken
up.
Solicitor NJ. J. cullinan advised
! Mayor Vester thst he believed the or
/ dinance would nave to be passed last
night.
/ The ordinance laying the annual levy
had been passed. which waa a source
of worry to DR.. Armbrecht. Here we
havo passed the ordinance laying our
levy before we mako our appropria-
! tons" he said. There Is o question
in my mind II that is legal"
81 think 1t makes no difference" So
licitor Cullinan replied when Mayor
Fos ter referred the question to him, 80
both the levy Is laid and the appropria-
tions made tonight"
Councilmen Blum. Elliott and Hare
and Mayor vester spoke. taking the
stand that Mr.. Maggie was thoroughly
acquainted with the needs of the city
| in the way of money. and 1t developed
| that Mr. Magic had an itemizcd state
ment If council wished to have It read
before passing upon the appropriations.
Mr., Thoncr came back with sharp
exception to q statement Of Mr.. Blum's
when he said:
This is not question OF whether
tho manager will net wisely in the e1-
pcnditure Of tho citys money. but when
! this council passes Il resolution, IT ought
| to be complied with.
Statements Of Mayor Vester and
Councilman Blum revealed that the pur-
poSo Of tho meeting in Mr.. Naglo's
office was to smooth out the differences
md to secure n unanimous vote on tho
appropriations.
! "Nhnt salary, Mr.. Blum. do you
know. does the superintendent Of the
water works receiver" said Councilman
Kress. taking the floor and direction
his question to Mr.. Blum.
, II don't know that can say was
the answer.
We'll, It strikes me-" MT. Rress re-
piled that the directors Of any corpora
ton would want to know what salaries
its employees arc paid.
| Lets Out Secret
Mr., Blum evidently spilled the
beans" when he replied to Mr.. Kress:
We'll, if I am Informed correctly.
that position is to be done away with
before long anyhow. Tho money will
then be devoted to some other purpose"
THE people Of the city Of Wheeling
would like to know what salaries its
officials and employees receive Mr..
Krcss said "nnd I think It's up to US
to give them the information"
Mr.. HabtE asked that action be de-
rcrrcd until council is Furnished the
itcmizcd appropriation. buy acting on
Mr.. Cullinan's advice, Mayor Vestcr
ruled that action must be taken last
night.
After the appropriations were made
Mr.. Maggie was instructed to furnish the
councllmen with the itemiZcd approp-
riations before the next regular meet
ing.