The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1919-03-06
NEW CITY HALL, FIRE
TRUCK AND STREET
TRUCK AMONG
T HE M ANY
NEW CITY AC-
QUESTIONS

been accomplished in city affairs dur
ing the past four years, we feel that
the public is entitled to a summary
of the acts of the City Council-espec-
tally those acts involving the expend-
iture of the peoples money Whether
fair accounting has been made, and
whether or not the people have had
value received, is left to the judg-
ment of those who, by the payment OF
their moneys into the treasury of the
city, particularly become interested
parties thereby.
Four years ago, upon the election of
the majority of the present City Coun.
Gil. meeting was called. at which time
a definite program and policy was
outlined. and the determination to
carry out that policy has been stead
fastly adhered to, the aim being to
render conservative. and yet pro.
gressive. administration. so that when
we were through the things that were
accomplished might be apparent to
any well thinking and unbiased mind
FIRE DGfAh MENT.
While the advisability of changing
our old fire department outfit to a
modern equipment had long been
matter of discussion, one of the first
things done was to buy and equip,
through local agency, the automobile
truck now in use, at a cost of S17O0.
The cost of maintaining this system,
aside from salaries paid to the firemen,
has been eighty cents per day, as
against approximately $3.50 per day for
the old horse-drawn equipment. Be-
sides, we have arranged to give fire
protection to the Town of South Canon,
for which they pay $4,000 per month
into the treasury of the City.
CITY HALL.
Attention was then directed to the
building of a new city hall. This was
question that had been discussed for
over twenty-five years previously, in
fact. this city would perhaps have a
city hall worthy of our city, were it
not for the fact-which many did not
understand-that the city had already
reached It's constitutional limit in the
way of city Indebtedness. This Coun-
Gil felt the imperative need for bet
ter hall to supplant the old disgraceful
'shack" used as city hall, and set
about to provide better quarters. The
result has been that building was
built, with commodious rooms, a sani-
tary jail provided in connection there
with. good heating plant, a large
basement designed for storing at least
carload of coal, also a convenient
vault provided for the storing of the
city records.
To get the money necessary to build
this building. we had to proceed in a
rather irregular manner. The money
was, advanced by one Of the leading
citizens of the community. amounting
to $4,000, this obligation having since
been paid, with interest, In full. And.
while this hall is not what most of us
would desire to see. you win perhaps
agree that all our requirements, for
the time. are amply provided for.
In this connection, the old building
was utilized in building cabin and
stable for the housing of our street
department and their equipment when
they are working on the roads at the
top of the Gorge, this work usually oc-
curing in the spring or autumn, when
the weather is rather inclement.
WATER SYSTEM.
In the building of our new water
system, this city incurred bonded
debt of $350,0O0 for that purpose. hav-
ing already had an old water system
! bonded debt amounting to 100000.
The interest on this bonded debt, alone,
amounted to over $20.5OO per annum
This City Council concluded the sale
on the Cottonwood ranches, that had
previously been negotiated, for the
sum OF $4,000. They also replaced the
Doony to the credit of the water fund
that had been taken from that fund
without legal warrant, over twenty
years ago, for the purpose OF paying
general fund Indebtedness, amounting
to $1,000. With this money, and the
surplus which we we're able TO con
serve. we have paid off $4,000 OF the
above mentioned bonds. saving to
the city water fund of the sum of
$250o in interest alone, per annum
During the past thirty years. this is
the only retirement of the city's bonded
debt. with the exception OF q small is