Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-12-09
WILL FINISH YEAR
WITH CREDIT BALANCE
City Departments Keeping Well
Within Their Appropriations
Mayor Vetoes $4,000 Appro-
priatiOn for Sewer Repairs but
Is Not Sustained by Aldermen

That thera, viii be good-sized balance
on the credit side Of the citys finances at
the close of this fiscal year Is the predic-
ton which made at the Board Of
Alderman meeting Monday evening on the
strength OF the financial standing Of the
several departments up to December l. az
presented to the board This statement
shows that there are credit balances In al,
OF the departments except four and thai
the total credit balance amounts to $122-
at96 while the debit balance is on'y
A.o67 20. thus leaving the city sl1S3i4.76 to
the good up to December 1.
The financial standing of the several
departments, up to December 1, is as fol-
lows:
Credit balances: Library, $780,, a.;
schools. 81. 5a3.s5; rest room. san; electric
light, SIS. oGs: sewers. $3.50 %; salaries.
sc,5os3s: health. s4S2.e1 streets, N,67o2 6
water, Sc so; parks, s1.s25.25; fire, So
s5967' pauper. A,79l 70: public but dings
sI,o42 u; police. s3H7.so: street lights. 49,
a3s -; interest. $40 2a6.s5; bridges s7s2.l7;
sidewalks. sl.s2n75; park appropriation,
81 1856 20; total. s,2:9t1.96.
Debit balances: Comfort station, 1890;
incdentds, s?352 81; snow removal, $S5.5s.
upiinklinr s21N.77; total, A567T.
II was pointed IN; ir connection with
This statement. that the city has loaned
to property owners a considerable sum of
money for putting In sidewalks and for
sprinkling and that this money is coming
back into the treasury a little at time.
It will not all come in this year. but Will
be put back eventually. SO that these de-
partments may show losses at this time
which are not really losses, because they
will be made up.
II was in this connection that a reso-
luton introduced by Alderman Caisse, re-
ating to a temporary loan, and authoriz-
ing the city to borrow $4,000 to pay ac-
crung interest on loans outstanding as
just noted. was adopted by the board
At the close of the meeting, it was
voted that the city, clerk instruct the
heads of the various departments, except
the water and light departments, to make
out their estimates of budgets for the
year 1921 and present them to the board
as soon as possible after the first of
January. and not fater than the meeting
of the board during the first week In
February.
G.. l.. Woodbury., president of the board.
who presided. suggested that the COM
mittee on revision of the charter should
prepare any suggested revisions as soon
as possible. in order that they may be
ready when the Legislature meets in
January.
Considerable discussion was occasoned
by the mayors veto of a resolution ap-
proprating additional 5000 for the
use of the street department to do work
on sewers.
| The mayors veto is given below:
MAYOR JACKSON'S VETO
To the Honorable Board of Aldermen
of the City of Burlington, VI.
Gentlemen:
hn 1rfi on nI nta1 hN-
honorable board November 1st. 1920. re-
lating to Additional Appropriation
for Sewers" has been considered by
! me. II contains practically the same
subject matter once before adopted in
i a resolution and not approved by me.
| This resolution asks that the sum of
$4,000 "be appropriated to the Street
Department for work on sewers" and
J that the treasurer be authorized and
directed to procure said sum of $4,000
by means OF temporary loans"
The resolution does not state at all
in detail what work on sewers" the
street department had in mind.
whether new work which might be in
fcrred or repair work; nor does 1t
state where such work is proposed to
be done; nor does il state whether
such work is necessary to be done and
at this season of the year.
Now | do not deem II good business
practice for the city to make spec
ial appropriation to any department
without knowing what II Is to be used
for and the need for it.
The board of aldermen and the
mayor are trustees of the taxpayers
money. and entrusted to use 1t for their
interests, that IL, for the interests of
the city. l do not think any good busi-
ness house would appropriate money
in such Il lump sum. without knowing
considerably in detail what 1t is to be
used for and the need of using 1t.
The second matter in the resolution Is
a provision for raising this money and
'by means of temporary loans" The
charter provision. Section 62. authorizing
the city council to pledge the credit OF
the city "by means OF temporary loans"
is plainly for the purpose Of getting
funds to carry on the government pend
ing the collection of taxes for the SAME
year, unless the city by vote Of the
legal voters authorizes the raising Of ad
ditional sums We cannot pay this years
debts out of next years funds raised by
temporary loans.
Taxes collected for this year should
have been and have been, as l understand
It, used in part in paying the temporary
loans made during the year. and we have
now no right. as I have said, to raise
money by temporary loans and charge 1t
against next years ordinary resources.
think have made this plain to the board
several times before.
The two reasons given are sufficient In
by judgment for not approving this reso-
luton.
The taxpayers should know and will
know early In February the standing of
the city financially and what the city
government has done with their money
during the year. and do not think they
would approve. especially at this late
date In the year. OF the city council
pledging the credit of the city for 5000
for work on sewers" even II the city
had any authorize to do so.
therefore return this resolution to
your honorable board without my APP
proval.
Respectfully,
J. HOLMES JACKSON. mayor.
VETO NOT SUSTAINED
After reading this veto to the board,
President Woodbury. declared that the
Mayor was in error in saving that IL was