The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-06-22
Mayor Donovan
 To Retire At End
 Of Present Term
Tax Rate Past Four Years Lowest Any City State Rate Now Being Planned Lowest Norwalk Ever
 Known-Clash With School Board Still On

care IS taken Il1o members the board to see that the right material Is nominated in harmony with their methods. A bureaucracy has thus been established, reactionary to an extreme degree, lacking in business ability, and ignorant of real educa- tional affairs The school budget for 1917 was s155,00O. The budget for 1921 is $2S5, ,O00.
 It cost over 70 per cent of all the taxes collected directly from the tax payers of the city to run the schools during the present fiscal year, yet this board had not money enough, and is denouncing Mayor Donovan and his administration for not allowing it to spend more This extraordinary in crease of approximately s1Oo,00o in the school budget during Mayor Don evans two administrations it not jus t1fled by any increase in school at tendance, practically all of it has been absorbed in increasing salaries and questionable and faulty supervision in the management of the schools.
 Mayor Donovan was prompt in the fight is still on. The school bud get for the present fiscal year was passed by the Board of Apportion- nent as submitted by the school not essential to the regular conduct of the schools, yet the current school term begun before the board had ftoandsred thoa1,as 1 on the financial rocks,
 
 ture endorsements through some hocuS-pocus of political sorcery, not familiar to the ordinary 1ayman, a bill sponsored by the board was pass ed by the late Legislature taking away the power of the Board of estimate to make appropriations for the schools and giving the school board without let or hindrance the authority to spend without limit whatever they pleased for school purposes.
 A general bill from the State Board of education was introduced in the House, early in the late Legislative session. - giving the school boards in each town authority to run the schools without limiting the expense and taking the right of the towns to TX the amount to be expended by the school boards away from the people. This was too drastic a measure even for such a body as the Connecticut Legislature to pass, yet this commun- Hy was singled out and such a bill passed applying solely to this city. Corporation Counsel Edward J. Quin- Ian appeared before the Committee on education at Hartford and made general objection to this unjust dis dunn which was denied. However the Committee on Cities and Bor- oughs of the same body, having un- der consideration some charter | changes for Norwalk, and the regis trars Of voters being dissatisfied with their compensation, they too, manag- ed to prevail upon the Legislature to insert a clause in an a.mendmen
 matter of approximately s1OO or less in the aggregate. This is subject to referendum, while the schood bud get calling for S300.000 or more of l public money was forced upon the people without allowing them the right to approve or reject this mea- sure.
 ] Notwithstanding all the difficulties | that have interposed the tax rate of the City of Norwalk during the past four years has been the lowest of any 1 city in Connecticut, a remarkable achievement, during a period in the
 worlds history when costs and prices were the highest ever known. The board of estimate are at present en- gagged in making up the budget for the fiscal year 1922. Hearings for the different City departments are now being held, and it is anticipated that the tax rate will be the lowest ever known in the history of the city
 This will be determined at their final
 meeting; Monday, July 4th. and it is expected not to exceed an average of ~ mills. Reports just at hand from
 the State Tax Commissioners show alarming increases in the debts of all inc cities of the state while NorwaIk debt has been reduced $1OO00O dur ing the past four years. During the coming fiscal year another s1OOooO Of bonded indebtedness will mature ehiio pIoFlSlOl IlsiS been made to pay 1t, when due Surely this is a record Of which to be proud.
 It would take columns of space to tell in detail tho story of the eventfuI past four years of Mayor Donovan's s ad dninistration. The results accom- plfshed have been achieved in the face of the fiercest opposition from various sources. It represents a de- votion to duty and a steady and con stant supervision of every detail in c1ty matters. Sinecures have been abolished as far as possible, and wherever the city charter would ,,er- init No one gets a dollar of city money without value received, or else the Mayor cannot prevent it. being hampered by some law or statute for such purposes made and provided, and then not without the recipient being exposed in the getting It is from the latter source whence all the opposition flows Supernumary Po- licemen- Dog, and Tree Wardens In- spectors of many kinds and de rees. Election Workers City Engineers and their assistants, Charity noneers and others have been eliminated from the public payroll or their activities cur tailed. It is this host of patriots CD and their camp followers that consti- tute the opposition to the Mayor. aided by a local partisan press care