El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-26
REAL BUDGET IS
COUNCIL s PLAN
Expert From State UniVer-
sity Helps; Budget for
1917 Over Million.

During the fiscal year beginning
April 1. 1916, FL Paso broke into the
million dollar class as regards NUM-
cipal expenditures and bids fair to re-
main in that class. as the recent
budget made up by mayor Charles
Davis and the city council for the fis-
cal year which began April l. 1871
amounts to s1.2O3.O19-2S.
Expense items Of the budget are as
follows:
Mayor and council, s22.50O; city
clerk, $500; election expenses. $3.50;
city attorney. s4500s litigation, 500;
auditor, S6100s treasurer SzaVui
assessor and collector, S11s100s finance
committee, $500; corporation court,
$4,000; city hail, S2SOOi police depa- L
ment, sos, 900; fire department. Sll1.-
eco; weights and measures Sl5OOi
bUilding department, $500: pound,
$1,000; traffic, $4,000; city electrician,
$3.50; plumbing inspection. s222O;
health department, SCI, AGO. isolation
hospital S67O0s comfort station Sz4OOi
sewers, S10,325; garbage collection,
S51,640; garbage disposal, $4,000;
lighting, S3O,9OO; engineering, $4,000;
civil service commission. S27e0; dona-
tions, $500: emergency hospital,
$4,000: city Jail. s14.350; general parks.
eZ8rluN9 Washing AuA RaLAAf TaovNs
sinking fund and interest. S2I3.OOu-Sz;
purchasing department, $1,000; ware
house, $3.50; interest. exchange and
notes, $4,000; capital expenditures,
S7g,215.10.
How Fund Is Secured.
The tax rate was apportioned as
follows; Forty cents for schools
S0.4611 for sinking fund and interest
and S1.O1S9 for general fund, makln5
total rate or SIS. This VIII bring
S1.113.019.2S revenue. TO which Is to
be added $4,000 indirect revenue
This will meet the total OF the budget,
S1,2O3.019.2S.
The budget was completed after
nine months Of the year for which
the money was appropriated mad
passed So that this may be changed
and another budget may be ready Tor
the fiscal year beginning April 1,
1918, the city council and the FL Paso
Taxpayers association, assisted by
professor Paxton. Of the University OF
Texas, are working TO complete the
budget before the beginning OF the
new fiscal year
The city council, assisted By the Fl
PasO Taxpayers association. deter
mined during the latter part OF 1917
to prepare the way for new budget
procedure for the city, believing that
the city's financial program should be
mapped out before the spending OF
funds, and not afterwards. as has been
done in FL Paso heretofore
The Investigations OF councilmen
and experts OF the taxpayers assOcia-
ton caused them to conclude that the
only business way to adjust a tax rate
is TO have IL follow an approximation
OF the city's needs Heretofore. the
tax rate has been fixed arbitrarily
and not in proportion TO a calculation
Of what funds are necessary 20 carry
on city business They arrived at the
ia. HaHaH 1Hrif HHn=
should be controlled by the program
laid out in real budget, and that
indicated expenditures should not be
enlarged Following this plan, the
city council viii know at the end OF
each month just how much money has
been spent and how much remains to
be expended during the. year.
The unbusinesslike methods hereto
fore in operation are the result Of
various departments not knowing
what they are allowed to spend. what
they are spending or exactly what
they are 10 do Moreover. the amount
actually spent in any particular de-
partment is not in accord with the
needs OF the department or in re-
Spouse 70 inquiry as to the needs OF
the department Nor IS there any
detailed account demanded showing
what has been accomplished with the
money spent
Gives Citizens n Voice.
In the new plan, citizens viii have
a say as TO whether they approve OF
expenditures. and may thereby have
a hand in directing the character and
extent OF the activities for which they
pay the bill, and there viii be Ger
tain means for citizens holding OFF,
GERS strictly to the execution OF the
plans indicated by the budget.
Working on the fundamental that
any successful business must be in