The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1920-10-21


The present administration has no
called on our people for any bont
issue whatever. The last bond issu,
authorized was in 1919 which was in
augurated and put through by cit.
council. This issue was made neces
sary on account of the loss of electri,
plant by fire in April, 1919. We arr
operating with a temporary electri,
plant now until new plant is com
Ipleted. Temporary operation is ex
y pensive. Our water plant is operat
led by electricity also. This is the
explanation for the temporary seem
ing high rates for utilities service i'm
posed upon our city by the former
administration.
This administration has put into
operation a thorough modern up-to-
date system of simpliffed bookkeeping
and accounts. The entire Office and
clerical help is done by three which
includes all bookkeeping and render
ing bills, assessing and collecting of
taxes, etc. Formerly it was done by
six officers and employees; we have
installed condensing outfit and
spray pond to the temporary electric
plant which can be used with per-
manent plant at a saving in fuel of
about 80 per cent; have equaliZed
taxes to the entire satisfaction of
about 95 per cent of tax payers; have
let contracts for new electric and gas
plants; have eliminated dead tim
ber", from pay roll far in excess of
city managers salary; have given
better gas service with old worn out
plant than has been maintained be-
fore in ten years; are having city
ordinances codified and printed which
has not been done before in over
fourteen years; centralized buying
for all departments of city in city
manager at saving of large sum of
money annually; have fewer en-
ployes and pay them better but less
in the aggregate than formerly and
getting better service; stopped pay
ing out rent for city offices and NOV
ed into city building where there was
abundant vacant space for Offices,
more than 500 per month interest
On daily bank balances is received as
against nothing from this source for
merly; have saved hundreds of dol
ars by paying cash for everything
purchased as against embarrassing
credit and interest paid out formerly;
public utilities were losing more than
81 900 per month over and obove OPP
Grating expenses formerly and owed
81 l 500 in utility accounts which
could not pay; general fund owed
50 900 and interest on notes in local
,ank which it could not pay; this
administration has paid all of that
have sufficient money ,
eft to put us through the balance
# the year without borrowing (un-
leard of before in Tallahassee) have
more than $4,000 in utility fund and
yer $4,000 worth of fuel on hand
aid for.
No sensible person believes that
ny government. national, state or
municipal, however, well operated, +.
ill be perfect and beyond legitimate :
riticism; and we all know that we :,
Ill ever have With us those persons :.
hose tendency is to destroy instead
construct.
The people or Tallahassee will not =
ote to change from this form of gov :.
until this plan has been
wen fair trial. They believe in =
Lir play. They know that no form .
government can prove itself with =,
six or twelve months and that a =,
ir trial of it cannot be had under -
70 years. The concensus of opinion =
ere is still as it was when this char =,
r was adopted by vote of the people ~
at no form of government can be :.
~ worse than the lax, loose, unbusi- "
'sslike, expensive, antiquated, ever -,
hiking aldermanic form of govern y,
ent.
Mote: Mr.. McCord was mayor of -
tallahassee during last year of alder -,
anic government and received q sal ~
y. He saw the conditions and t.
here city was fast going financially, -,
and had part in adopt ~
g manager plan, and is now serving ~
e city as chairman of city commits b,
IN which carries with it the title of NJ
ayor at no salary for any of this
-vicn