Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-19
WARE INTRODUCES
HIS BUDGET BILL
Offered as Counter-Measure
to Systems in Proposed
New Charter
DIFFERENCE IS SLIGHT
To Be Prepared by Controller,
but Subject to Suggestions
by Mayor

Harrisburg, March 19.-The Ware
budget bill, prepared by City Solicitor
John P. Connolly and Joseph j. Gaffney,
chairman of the Finance Committee OF
Councils. has been introduced in the SEN
ate by Senator Ware. The measure was Of
fered as n counter bill to the budget
system devised by the charter revision
committee and included in the charter
revision bill. In many respects the Ware
fiscal policy differs little from that out
lined in the Bullitt bill.
The measure provides that the City
Controller transmit to the Mayor a
budget on or before November 10 of each
year, and that the Mayor shall send
the same to Councils. The budget, 1t is
specified. shall be prepared by the Con-
troller, but the Mayor may make such
suggestions as he deems fit. 1t Is speci-
fled the budget shall contain:
"A detailed statement of the estimated
receipts, expenditures and liabilities of
every kind for the next year, a statement
of the requests for appropriations by
the Mayor and the various departments,
the assessed valuation of taxable prop
erty, reel and personal together with
the gross amount of the funded and
unfunded debt Of the city and the net
amount thereof after deducting the ac-
cumulated sinking fund and such other
funds as are by law deductible there
from in estimating the city's debt and a
statement of the borrowing capacity of
the city"
The budget must also contain an esti-
mate of the revenue of the city for such
year from sources other than taxation,
the tax rate which 1t would be necessary
to levy in order to comply with the re-
quests for appropriations, an enumera-
ton of the public improvements deemed
advisable by the Mayor, and which of
them and to what extent they should In
the Mayors judgment be paid from the
current receipts or from money already
borrowed or authorized to be borrowed.
or which shall be borrowed or authorized
to be borrowed during the coming year.
1t must also contain n specific state
ment of all the outstanding mandamuses.
the amount thereof, showing whether
they are for permanent improvements
or otherwise and the methods by which
the funds to discharge them should he
provided detailed statement of the
actual financial needs of the city and Of
The various departments. the total
amount of such actual requirements for
the coming year. a recommendation OF
the tax rate to be adopted and levied
for the year.
The bill specifies that the budget must
contain a full and complete working pro-
gl'am for the needs of the city for the
ensuing year, and the methods by which
the financial requirements therefore are
30 be met, including apportionment
hereof as between actual, current rev.
cnue and the flotaton of loans and en-
racing such other matters as may be
necessary or pertinent to developed
man for the ordinary operations of the
municipality, for the contemplated i'm
rf
advisable to be begun or continued
iGring the year and for the method of
providing. the funds requisite for all
such purposes. r%
Section 9 of the bill provides that the
tax rate must be fixed by December Is,
Of each year. otherwise the old rate
.cmains in force and public hearing
must be held on the bill fixing the tax
rate. The act contains. a clause similar
10 that in the Woodward bill, making the
deficit of one year a first charge against
the taxation income of the succeeding
year.
In this connection the bill provides
that the City Controller shall not sign
any warrants pertaining to appropria-
tons until the total of all appropria-
tions and lawful obligations shall be
brought within tho sum realized from
the tax levy and other sources. Section
5 of the bill specifies that current an
nual or periodic expenses of the city
cannot be liquidated from borrowed
money or by loans, except temporary
loans.
Section provides that no work shall
be authorized or supplies or materials
purchased unless an appropriation has
been made therefor. Section z specifies
that where a desired public work ex-
tends over the period of one year Coun-
ellis may designate what part of 1t shall
be done In any one year. and the city
shall not be liable for any more than
the amount Of the contpct SO desig-
mated.