The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-09-14
The Ardmoreite's
FREE FORUM
ENCISE BOARD EXPLAINS
ACTION IN DISALIOWING
CERTAIN CITY SCNDRIES

Editor Daily Ardmoreite:
Some time ago the mayor of Ard
more, in letter published in The Ard
moreite, criticized the action of the eX-
else board for dsallowng certain items
in the estimate sheet of Ardmore city.
In order to correct the erroneous
impression created by said letter, and
let the people know the facts in the
case, the following is respectfully sub
mitted. The items not allowed were
sundries. Several We're for as much as
S2,5O0. TO have allowed these would
have been a violation of law. Chapter
226 section ,, 1917 Session laws:
The statement of estimated needs
shall be itemized, so as to show by
classes. first the several amounts nee
essary for the currency expenses of
the municipality, and each officer and
department thereof. Second the
amount required by law to be provided
for sinking fund purposes. And shall
be detailed in form and amount, so as
to disclose the several items for which
the excise board is authorized and re.
quired in section 3 hereof to approve
estimates"
Section says: when the excise
board shall have examined, revised and
adjusted the items of the respective
estimates of the several municipali-
ties, and shall have ascertained in sep
arate items the needs of each, if the
same shall be within the limits for
current expenses as provided by law,
la,
propriate the respective amounts there
of for the purposes so found to be nee
essary.' Each appropriation made by
the board must show what it is to be
used for.
Everything the city asked for was
allowed, viz: Salaries, extra help, of
flee supplies, telephone, telegraph,
printing, freight and drayage equip
ment-in fact everything authorized
by law.
Further the city officials were asked
to state for what purpose these large
sundry items were to be used and failed
to do so, except to say that they want
ed to say that they wanted to increase
salaries and to repair city Jail Their
attention was called to the fact if any
of the items were for increasing salar-
les, it should have been included in
the salary fund, and repairs on build
ings should be so stated
AS to the cemetery proposition, the
budget of estimated needs called for
salary of 81 ZOO, extra help $500, tools
anad equipment 1925, other items SIS;
total estimated needs $2,5O0, which was
allowed
There was another item for sundries,
81 500, the largest item in the estimate,
which was not allowed for the reason
that it was not authorized by law
and no one could tell what it was to
be used for. The salary and extra help
is for the purpose of digging graves
and upkeep of the cemetery, mainte-
nance of cemetery; certainly can not
be sundry expenses. Sundries mean
little items, not salaries, extra help.
office supplies. machinery equipment,
nor any of the items callod for in the
estimate. The excise board allowed
every item of estimated needs called
for in the budget and have not Grip
pied the city in a single department.
No one seemed to know what these
sundry items were for, the total of
which was $l4,630. If the city officials
did not know what these items were
for, how did they know they were
needed?