Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-15
MAYOR AND ALDERMEN
CONTINUE TO DISAGREE
Formers Request for Economy
Laid on the Table and Resolu-
tiOns Looking to the Purchase
of New Fire Fighting Appara-
tus Adopted

Monday at the meeting of the board
of aldermen. advising against the pur
chase Of any new equipment unless very
necessary and urging the strictes
economy the board by vote OF sever
to one favored resolutions presented b,
Alderman Beecher ordering the fire com
missioners to advertise for bids for
triple combination pump for the Are de
partmcnt and another resolution adver
Using for bids for tractor for the hool
and ladder and "A chassis for the wager
body of the truck at station two, thus
reviving some OF last years desires
The lineup on the voting remained the
same with Aldermen Woodbury., Mcbride
Beecher, Iianbridge, Hall, Patrick and
| Ocyette favoring the resolutions and
Alderman Caisse voting against them
The other aldermen were absent This
was all of the business transacted fol
lowing the street car service hearing and
the meeting adjourned until next Mon
day afternoon at Ave o'clock.
resolution. presented by the mayor
to the board through Alderman Caisse
was laid on the table. on motion of
| Alderman Beecher. Some spirit was
| manifested in the process OF burying the
resolution and Alderman Beecher stated
| that If the mayor had felt so keenlv
about the city's expenditures in the past
| the city would not need to practice such
| rigid economy now. Alderman Hall
thought that a majority of the board
had to do with the appointment of the
present commissioners who had been
selected because of their business ability
and because they had the interest of the
| city at heart. He had no desire to cur
tail their power, as was suggested in
the mayors resolution. and would vote
against it. Alderman Caisse was again
the dissenting vote in the process Of lay
ing the resolution on the table.
| Adjournment was taken to next Mon
| day afternoon at five O'clock
| MAYOR JACKSON'S LETTER
Burlington. VT. Jan. u, 1920.
| To the Honorable Board of Aldermen
of the City of Burlington, VT.
Gentlemen:
At the very beginning of new fiscal
year I calf your attention to the neces-
sity of requiring the several departments
to practice rigid economy Because the
city is rich in credit is no reason why
we should pledge this credit. except in
cases of emergency. or in cases where
the demand seems to justify doing so. In
| the long run the greatest efficiency is
attained in practicing economy do not
| economy, just such economy as a good
and aldermen are trustees for the tax
payers. and responsible to them and the
several commissions in all practical
ways, are agents Of the city.
The tendency of those in charge of the
| departments Is to lay out and do moro
work than they have money to meet these
expenses. II is easier for some people to
| spend somebody's else money than it is
to spend their own. Especially should
the city government. when it has used
| more of it's credit than it ought TO have
| used TO meet current expenses. be still
more careful and try to catch up.-so TO
speak. drawing less upon our credit re-
serve. I have no doubt we all agree in
these general propositions. How can we
apply them to present conditions? The
charter, section. 90, reads as follows:
Sec. g. Tho credit of the city other
! than by temporary loans not exceeding
one hundred and twenty cents upon the
dollar of the grand list of said city shall
not he pledged by the city council nor by
any officer of said city unless by vote
Of the legal voters of said city at "A meet
ing thereof duly called for that purpose
! except for the purpose of issuing school
unpaid negotiable notes or bonds, as pro-
vided for in this act"
or bonds. "a provided for in this act"
The grand list upon which we can
make such temporary loans is $2l9. As:
12n per cent Of it Is 1868 1856. so. You have
already. and during the past six months,
borrowed. as agairs: this credit, 1910, CO.
Hi. We have left margin of only $50
3S6.s0. This years taxes will not hcgin
To come in until August. We therefor,
have more than six months before .;'c
shall have money from taxation aVaila-
BILE to carry on the city's business. as
we have left under our right to pledge
the credit of the city, according to sec
ton 62, only s53.Ses so
IL Is no answer to say we ought to have
levied n higher rate of taxation. The
city voted on this proposition. and voted
1t down ten to one: md the majority
against larger rate. was almost tn.
same per cent in all the six wards OF the
city. showing the large vote against heay-
Ter taxes was not confined to any one
ward. but was about the same In all
wards. This was n notice TO the city
government not 10 take on new work
that could be postponed but we have not
Needed this notice.
We had n heavy war debt to nav. and
shall have another this year and we were
asked by this vote 70 "cut our garment
according to the cloth" Now / am urging
you not to order any new work done un-
til you have carefully looked into the
matter and not then unless you find af-
ter the most thorough investigation, that
there is an urgent demand for it, de-
mand that will justify such action.
The practice of ordering new work done
because some one, or several, ask for It.
or because it would be a good thing TO
have 1t done, is not such as any of YOU
gentlemen would adopt in your own bust
ness. This practice has. not been confined
to the present board, but has too easily
been followed in former years
The necessary ordering of repairs must
or course. be done, but here we should
stop. Because an appropriation for any
department may be large. this is no rea-
son why 1t should all be used up. 1t would
be far better to carry along a large sur
plus, and think more to our credit.
In order that the departments may fully
understand that they are to retrench and
not to expand, to save and not to spend.
ask you TO adopt the resolution which
] have requested an alderman to intro
duce In this way you will, in my judg-
ment. be best serving your constituents,
namely the taxpayers of the city. and at
the same time be doing right.
Respectfully.
j. HOLMES JACKSON, Mayor.
THE RESOLUTION
Resolved by the board of aldermen of
ha off nf p,rl irD f1lI