Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-01-08
MAYOR KEYES HAS
MESSAGE FOR COUNCIL
Budget Calls for $4,000
Less Than l9l7---MayOr
Urges Street Economy

Two outstanding features marked the
session of the city council last night.
One was the frugahty and economy
with which the council begins the new
| year, and the other was the frequent
and irreconcilable differences of opin.
ion that at one point of the meeting
threatened to bring in the services of
Acting Chief of Police Lucas to re-
store order and dignity.
The keynote of the policy which
will be followed by the city admins
tration the coming year was sounded
by Mayor Walter E. Keyes in his an
nual message to the council. While the
budget for 1918 calls for approximate
| ly $4,000 less than 1917, the mayor
expressed the desire that at the end
of the year portion of the appropria-
tions would be left to turn into the
general fund for the following year,
regardless of the advance in cost of
labor and material. He also recon-
mended that when salaries of city
employees be raised the ordinance be SO
drafted that all salaries automatically
revert to their former figure at the
end of the present year.
The mayors message follows:
Following a time honored custom
of delivering a message on the first
Monday of each year, I wish at this
time to briefly call to your attention
few points which / deem of para
mount interest to the city of Salem.
"Since the passage of the charter
amendments on the 9th day of July,
1917, giving the common council ad-
ditional powers for collecting street
assessments, citizens long arrears
have paid into the city treasury the
sum of $15,030.4I There is yet, how
ever, much money of this character our
standing. Il believe that the people of
the city of Salem realize rnat we can
not operate city affairs on business
basis, or at all, unless we collect as
sessments for improvments of streets
with reasonable dispatch. Interest on
/ improvement bonds must be met semi
annually. If the money is not col
/ lected from the owners of benefited
property, as provided by charter, then
we are obliged to make such payments
out of the general fund, which makes
taxes inevitably high, and works a
gross injustice ON those who have paid
their assessments in accordance with
the law. 1t is, therefore, necessary and
Just that we use our best endeavor
to collect outstanding street improve
ments, and thus place the city's fin
ance upon a business basis. Interest
upon bonded property must be collect
ed in order that We may meet interest
upon bonds.
/ Economy Has Wide Scope.
ain preparing our budget for the
ensuing year, we have reduced the
operating expenses of the city over
last year approximately $4,000. This
does not mean, however, that we should
spend all the money thus appropriated
because it is at our disposal. be
!, lieve, after working under the budget
with this decrease it viii be demon
strated next year that another material
reduction can be made in taxes.
further believe that by careful business
. methods and conservative committee
work, a portion of the appropriations
made for this year may be carried ovei
and placed in the general fund fol
next year. In other words, we should