Morris tribune., 1919-09-26
CITY BUDGET HIT
BY RISING COSTS
Increased Tax Lazy Necessary for
City to Meet the Expenses of
the Budget
NO LICENSE MONEY NOW
Board of Freeholders Is Considering
Submitting Charter Amend
' ment
NO LICENSE MONEY NOW

The "H. G. L." has finally hit the
the city finances and the budget is
calling for help.
It might have been expected, and
but for the careful financing of the
city commission, the rs. o. S." call
would have gone out sooner.
The Board of Freeholders held a
meeting on Wednesday night, and
considered the situation and will
meet again Monday evening, and it
is probable that at that time they
will decide to submit to the voters
two amendments to the city charter
one to raise the maximum tax levy
to 80 mills, and the other to permit
the city commission to issue certif1-
Gates Of indebtedness when called
upon to make some big public i'm
provement like the paving contract
which the city had to meet so unex-
pectedly this year.
Judge S. A. Flaherty has appointed
new Board of Freeholders for the
City of Morris on account of the
terms of all members having expired.
The Board of Freeholders is COM
posed of persons who have been
qualified voters and resident free
holders of the city for at least five
years, and the duty of the Board is
to draft amendments to the city
charter as they may appear neces-
sary.
The new board consists of E. J.
Jones, J. J. Gaffney, M. B. Lord, N.
Vinje, G. w. Beise, J. G: Morrison,
F.. A. Hancock, w. F. Cooley, ST., F.
R. Putnam, c. A. .Dushek, P. L.
Spooner, J. r. Krueger, J. J. McCan-
ney, F. e. Ware, and A. L. Stenger.
Major Geenty called the new Board
of Freeholders together at the Com
mercial Club rooms on Wednesday
evening. The Board organized by
electing E. J. Jones chairman and
N. ,Vinje secretary.
Mayor Geenty presented the diff
culties of the city budget, and after
informal discussion, it was decided to
ask the city attorney to draft amend
ments to the city charter to be sub
mitted to a full meeting of the board
next Monday evening.
The city charter provides for a
maximum tax levy of 20 mills. When
this maximum was adopted the city
had five saloons and received $500
annually from saloon licenses, ac-
cording to Mayor Geenty, and the
city is not only now deprived of this
revenue but all expenses have in
creased, the city now paying $500
for laborers where it formerly paid
half that figure. Everything in the
way of supplies costs the city more
money the same as it does everyone
else. The only way to meet the situ-
alton is to amend the charter and
raise the maximum tax levy to 80
mills. rF.5E
The city has certain fixed expenses
which it is impossible to reduce and
which must be met. The city must
have more fire hose, must have
street fusher and a sewer cleaner,
and some new road drags, but If
these things are put into the budget
for next year the tax levy will exceed
| 20 mills and that can't be done under
the present charter. In spite of ad-
vancing wages, the city has had no
money to increase the pay of the city
employees, and the total, advances
granted to all employees total only
SIS a month.
Then the paving contract came
along this year to increase the fin
ancial difficulties of the city. No
tax payer would consider for mon
ent turning down the generous offer
of the county, state and federal gov
ernments to have eighteen feet free
of charge for the city, and yet the
city commission had to rely on the
! loyalty of the citizens in standing
back of them in accepting the offer.
AS it is, the city must pay for the
paving of the street intersections
(except the 18-foot strip) and this
will cost the city $6,000. This
amount must all be raised by taxa
tion next year unless an amendment
to the charter is adopted which will
permit the commission to issue cert1-
ficates of indebtedness and spread
the payment over three years or
more.
If the Board of Freeholders adopts
these suggested amendments to the
charter, the amendments will be SUD-
mitted to the people at the regular
city election in November.