Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-08-29
CITY TO GO ON
BUDGET PLAN
AFTER DEC. 81
Representative Pace Fur
nishes Text of Act,
) With Comments


The city government of Americas
will be operated under the budget
system beginning with the new year,
an act so providing having been in
troduced in the recent session of the
Georgia legislature by Representative
Stephen Pace, passed by both houses
and signed by the governor. The
act provides that the fiscal year of the
city shall end on December 81, in
stead of June 80, as has been the
custom, and establishes an 'efficien-
cy and economy commission" COM
posed of the mayor, the chairman of
the finance committee and the chair
man of the purchasing committee of
council, whose duty it shall be to esti-
mate the city's total revenue for the
coming year and submit to council
a budget of estimated expenses of
the city for the year. The act pro-
vides that in no case may the coun-
Gil appropriate money beyond the
estimated revenue for the year.
Recently Mr.. Pace was asked for
a copy of the act for tEN informa-
tion of the public, and this he has
obtained from the secretary of state
and furnished, accompanied by the
following letter, which offers some
comment and explanation:
Applying Business Methods.
Il am sure you will readily under
stand that my only purpose in the
enactment of this law was to pro-
vide a system by which the finances
of the city can be handled with that
same degree of efficiency and econ
omy as IS exercised by every upright
and progressive business man, and as
is employed by the large private cor
poratlons. In my own mind have
never been able to distinguish be-
tween the two; that is to say, why
hpublic affairs and funds should not
J be handled with the same care as
the average individual requires IN his
personal matters; yet, 1t Is very rare
that we find pubic official VINO Will
give the least regard to balancing
income and expenditures, beng en-
tirely satisfied to appropriate so long
as funds can be prlvided, legally or
illegally. A city is nothing more
than a big corporation, much like the
average private corporation, with a
Mavor and Board of Council in the
place of a President and Board II
Directors; and l see no reason why
a city should not, just as any otner
business corporation, at the Deglh
ming of each fiscal year, plan ana ar
range it's expenditures for the next
twelve months in order ahat Ihey
might conform to and not exceed
it's income. Of course there are a.
few uncertain expenses, but l think
YOU will find that this law amply pro-
Vides for such.
Constitution Disregarded.
Another thing; as you know, tne
Constitution of the State provides
that no city shall create any new
debt without the assent of two-thlrds
of the qualified voters, except tnat
for a temporary loan or loans TO sup
plv casual deficiencies OF revenue IL
NAV create a debt not exceeding one
fifth of one per cent of the assessed
value of the taxable property Il
believe this very wise, and neces
sary prohibition; yet, though IL
written in the Constitution OF IN
State, it has at times been entirely
disregarded and a floating debt Gre
ated more than ten times the
amount allowed by law, requiring
+ba imnosition of additional tax puf
dens. have tried to so PROVIDE
in this law that respect must be
given this Constitutional hmltaCloh
81 must add that no act OF tne
present city administrator pToMpe
ed this bill, for never nave l st seen
public officials more ANXIOUS Ihan
our present Mayor and CITY Couh
ell to administer public affairs ana
handle public funds according 10 law
and in keeping with the prlnclpier
of economy and efficiency, ana l
know this task has been d11lcuit
in view of the circumstances ana Vhe
demands made upon them
81 hope the information contaiheu 70
in the budget sheet, as prepared IN
accordance with Section OF Che
Act. will, from year to year, De Iur1
nished the press for publication; ana
7 have every confidence that through
tba oneration if this law the tax
navers of our city will be kept fully
adyised as to the manner IN Whlcn
nuhIic affairs are being conducted
and will know that public funds are
heixo expended according to law, or
if not, they can intelligently deter t?
mine the reason why and the partles
responsible"
The Budget Act.
Thetext of the Budget Act follows;
AN AT.
ITO amend can Act entitled an ACT
to amend, revise and consolidate tne
several Acts granting corporate au,
thority to the City of Americas, and
for other purposes" approved No
vember II. 1889, so as to provide
a budget system for the City of Am
ericus. to create and establish an EFF
ficiency and Economy Commission,
authorizing and requiring said com
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