Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1921-07-08
VET0ES ORDINANCE
BUYING PARK LOTS
MAYOR sBERGHEIM SAYS PROPoS-
AL AS A WHOLE IS TOO =.
LARGE

ON Broadway south, west Of the
knights of Columbus building, has
been vetoed by Mayor BerghciE. The
communication tt the council embodles
the reasons for the Withholding of the
mayors approved, which IN brief are:
Proposal .ls a whole is too large, deple-
ton Of permanent improvement fund:
too costly to re .cintain, limitations OF
the city's ownership, tho floating of
bonds in the near future for water
plant, city's large increase in indebted
ness and raise in tax rate during past
four years, with further increases con-
ing. Points out that city has new
Pine Grove park Of over so acres and
an interest in agricultural grounds.
Favors city cooperating in purchase
and maintenance of site west of post
office, and extending to the river on
the west and north.
It is said that should the council pass
the ordinance over the mayors veto,
a referendum will be asked on the or
dinance.
The mayors communication follows:
TO the City Council,
Little Falls, Minnesota.
Gentlemen: ,xtA
The attached ordinance entitled IAN
Ordinance to Purchase Lots IN BLOCK
"B' Mississippi Addition 10 tne
City Of Little Falls, Mimi, passea py
this Council June q, 1921, IS mere
with returned to your honorable oouy
without my approval
When this matter was first brougnt
before the Council, the mayor was pres
ent and raised certain objections to the
annronriation of money for this pur-
nose. The mayor still entertains these
objections and they are as follows:
First: (a) The ordinance reads as
follows: HSection 1:-That the City
Of Little Falls purchase the tracts and
parcels of land herein described, to-wit:
The West twenty feet (20) of Lot SIX
(6) and Lots seven (7), eight (S) nine
(o), ten (1O), eleven 1I and tWelve
tx. of Block "B', Mississippi Add
lion to the said City Of Little Falls,
for an aggregate purchase price not TO
exceed $li. 10000, such lands to be used
for Public Park to be known as the
Memorial Park, or such other pubilc
purpose. as the City Council may mere
after nv resolution determine.
object to the limitations imposed
The citv should not be tied to any par
t;cular use of this property, if it takes
it over. If the city should ever oecone
the owner of this real estate, 1t snoulo
be without any strings or cono1tlons
so that the city could use it tor any
nurpose it saw fit or sell 1t IT 1t snoulo
not have any public use for the same: e.,
(b)r The ordinance provides tna1 .:ne
purchase price shall be PAID py clIy
warrants drawn upon the permanent
Improvement Fund. When the improve
ments now under construction are CON
pleted, there will be no money IN TINS
fund with which to take care OF tn1S
annropriation and no bonds can be so!d
out of this fund for purposes OF thls
kind. ,on+od
hv tho Morrison County Memorial Asso
c;ation and filed with this council, reads
in part as follows: -
nWhereas such Association has de-
termined that the property west OF the
nostoffice, on both sides OF Broadway
and running north and south from river
bank to river bank, is. all things con-
s;dered, the most suitable site Tor sucn
Memorial and grounds. 4ho
Therefore. Be it Resolved, by the
Trustees of the Morrison County mem
orial Association, that it proceed TO az
ouire the remaining lands needed norm
Of Broadway and that the City OF -
t,e Fails and its citizens be requested
to acquire. from time to time, as may
he practicable, the lands needed south
of broadway, and that the City. OF
little Falls be urgently requested at
his rs' time to purchase the following
described property, to-Wlt: the "es' ~
feet of Lot 6, and Lots ! anu Al
elusive of Block "B', Mississippi Ac-
dition to the City of Little FANS:
The amount appropriated o., this or
~dinance for the purchase OF these
is $1l 10000. Current and back ta1es'
sewer and paving improvements assess o
ed against these lots amount to w.
80. making total amount to be Pa1o
at this time of $14 $685..
The cost of acquiring the balance OF
the real estate required by the Assoc'a-
tion. based upon the assessed value at
this time. is in round figures $25.O00.oV:;
making a total cost of the purchase OF
the land alone of $39,553.S9. The cost
of turning this real estate into a park
win probably be IN the neighborhood
of $4,000 making a tota! cost TO the
Citv for acquiring this park OF approx
mately $5o,000.0o.
The cost to the city each year for
maintaining said park would be about
as follows: .,ooo m
Taxes (lost) at least. 81 ,Ooo.oo
Interest on investment, at per
cent 5,UOV.oo
Cost Of up-keep, simply as a PARK, 6,o ~
ohon+ ......... l,OOO.Oc
Total estimated annual cost tor
Tho nark 49, ,OOOOO
This amount must be added to our
budget and taken care of through add1-
tional taxes levied upon property in
Little Falls. (The three country mem
bers of the Memorial Assoclatlon WIN
signed the resolution must have done 80
with great deal of pleasure, as tney
did not assume any responslo1nty
whatever, but showed it all upon the
people of our city,. :,
: In view of the fact that during the
last four years our indebtedness mas
increased from $116,000.00 to $31l ,OO0.-
90 and the rate of taxation from 64h
mills to 94h Minis, and is still going
mn. and in view of the further fact,
that the city will have to sell bonds
within the next year or two for at least
800 100000 for the establishment OF
onr water distributing system, feel
that our people have all they can stand
hv wav Of taxes and nothing should be
taken on that is not absolutely neces-
sary for the maintenance Of our cry.
We have attempted to economlllzae ll1a, N
our expenditures. We have reduced the
wages and salaries Of our city en-