Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-04-21
PACE PLANNING
TO PUT CITY ON
BUDGET SYSTEM
in TAX CHANGE
Declares He Has Not Been Approach
ed on Special Levy, but is De-
cided on Own Plan

The Americus city government will
probably be operated under the bud
get system next year This was gath
cred from remarks made today by
Stephen Pace, representative in the
state Legislature from Sumter county,
in discussing the differences of opin-
ion that have arisen locally over the
proposal of the city council to increase
the city tax rate by mills for the
next five years for the purpose of Ii
quidating the city's floating indebted
ness of approximately 100000.
The proposed tax increase would
have to be authorized by the legisla-
ture, the tax rate now assessed being
the full amount allowed, and the bill
would have to be introduced by one of
the county's two representatives. In
asmuch as Mr. Pace lives in the city,
it would be taken up through him,
undoubtedly. Mr.. Pace was asked
whether either the council or those
who are opposing the councils plan
had approached him on the subject.
Nothing has been said one way or
another, by either party, to me, as
representative, looking toward the
introduction of such charter amend
ment," he said. "As far as | person
ally am concerned, have have an
open mind on the subject. 1 suppose
the council, however, which has al
ready acted on the matter, will COM
municate their program to me at the
proper time.
There is this one thing have made
up my mind on, however: If any
charter amendment bill goes into the
legislature from Americus, there is
going with it provision for the in
stallation of the budget system for
handling the city's finances, beginning
next January 1. l am not sure but
what l will introduce such a bill,
whether a special tax amendment is
asked or not, but l am fully determin-
ed to do so if the tax bill goes
in.
This has no special relationship to
the merits of the proposed tax, but
have been making thorough study of
the budget system of handling public
finances, and | am convinced no other
method is sound or correct And ]
think the people who will pay the
increased tax, if it should go through,
are entitled to have the assurance that
this will give them that their money,
will not be squandered, once the debt
for which it is levied Is liquidated.
Under budget system every city
department would be compelled to
submit to the council on January l
statement, made under oath, of all
expenditures in detail for the past
year, and an estimate of all probable
or expected expenditures for the com
ing year. The council, or its designat-
ed committee, would at the same time
determine the amount of tax money to
come in during the new year, and this
would be allotted to the various de-
partments according to their estimat-
ed needs. The bill would make it un-
lawful for the council to appropriate
one cent more than the amount OF
taxes to be received during the year,
which would preclude an accumulation
of city debts hereafter.
II have been working on a plan for
some time looking TO the Duttinp of the
state on the budget system, too, sim
ilarly to the plan outlined for the city.
We have been wrking on it for several
years, and l have had several confer
ences with Governor Dorsey on the
subject. He has recently asked me to
put the bill in shape and the prospects
for putting the program through are
apparently good"