The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-12-04
Councilmen Decide To
Clear City Debt
City Property Will Bear 10
Mills On Total Valuation
For One Year. Present
Revenue Insufficient

/ According to an ordinance adopt
ed By the Mayor and Council Of
Morgan City at their regular Decem
Der meeting here last night, proper
t. will be taxed 10 mills on it's tota
valuation for the year 1917. The
increased revenues to be derived will
| permit the city to be cleared of debt
| and relieved Of the interest obliga-
: tons it is now paying on unpaid
notes which have been made in order
to carry on the business of the city
during the past few years. Beside
adopting the new tax ordinance to be
in force for l year, the council trans
acted their regular monthly business
and then took recess until December
29th when the budget of expense for
the coming year will be presented by
the Chairman of the Finance Com
mittee. There were present at the
meeting Monday night, Mayor Shan
non, Councilmen Squires, Norman,
Price, Jones and Clement. Mr.. J. P.
Hebert appeared before the council
and made his report as City Repre-
sentative to the Corpus Christi Wa
terways Convention, November 22nd
and 23rd. Proposals on cemetery
grounds were referred for further
action, and the preparatory steps for
free city delivery of mails was in
formally discussed.
Upon being advised by Mayor
Shannon that he had asked Mr.. He
bert to act as delegate to the In
terstate Inland Waterways Conven-
ton and after hearing the report of
the delegate, the councilmen unani-
mously ratified the action of the
Mayor, appropriated $500, in ac-
cordance with the custom of the
city, to apply on the expenses of the
delegate, and extended a vote of |
thanks to Mr.. Hebert for his able
representation.
Councilman Sqvires presented a !
letter from Thibodaux in regard to |
the steps taken by that city pre-
paratory to the establishment of free
city delivery of mails. After discuss
ing the matter, Secretary O'Brien
was instructed to write to the post
master of Morgan City asking the
necessary steps to be taken in the
matter. This will come up for &C.
ton at the recessed session on Del
cember 29th From the informal
discussion it appears that when the
city has taken the proper steps, free
delivery vii probably be established
in Morgan City.
After many months study and de-
liberation in the city council and
Mayor Shannon submitted
an ordinance which the councilmen
decided unanimously would be the
proper and only means of freeing the
city from debt and obviate the ne
cessity for further borrowing for
the present. This ordinance pro-
7ides that the property of Morgan
City, based on the parish assessors
will bear 10 mills taxa 6
ion for the year 1917. The valua- I
ion now stands at approximately t
b2,458,O00. Heretofore property i
owners have been paying ID mills on
:ity and waterworks taxes on So
Der cent of the total valuation. The a
lew basis will call for a tax of b
II 3-4 mills on the full valuation, or a
IN increase of about 70 per cent in r
:ity taxes only. This will be en-
'orced under this ordinance only for +
he year Of 1917. b
The new taxation basis will in n
rease the city revenues sufficiently, e
lnder the estimate, to pay off the in +
|ebtedness of about $4,000 which s
as accumulated against the city y
uring the past few years. This in q
ebtedness has been created because tt
he city has demanded operating ex-
enses much larger than it's revenues n
ave provided. However, the cur ri
emit expenses alone have not caused o.
he deficit but the costs of certain h
ecessary and valuable improvements h
f permanent nature which were al
D charged against the general O,
unds of the city. These improve b,
tents included the splendid fire ia
ghting equipment and Gamewell m
ire Alarm system being used so eff A
ectively by the citizens. The wis e.
ON of this expenditure has been 2,
time and again since h,
ne installation and not only has the e;
ty been saved the loss of property tt
y fire but the property owners are
bic to enjoy about $4,000 per year T
aving in insurance. The increased te
TX for the wear 1917 hoe hoon coxod