Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-09
C|TYS REVENUES
FOR 1921 WILL Be
S6,O0O,OOO--COFER
Mayor Issues Statement in
Regard TO Richmond's
New Budget.
AiHSLlE WANTS S4,5OO,OOO
TO RUN municipality YEAR
Mnst Have sl,579,82l Addition
al Charged TO Public Debt,
Claims Comptroller.
BALANCE AMOUNTS s5.030. 600
increase ON This Count Is S3S:s.-
o"..2-Duc to High Rctlcmp.
AlNSLlE WANTS s4,5Oo,OO0
10 RUN MUNICIPALITY YEAR
BALANCE AMOUNTS s5,oao, 900
Increase on This Count Is S3S::. :
-Duc to High Rctlcmp-
ton Requirements.


ton Requirements.
following tirelcss and energetic ex-
animation and discussion OF the needs
oil The various city departments. as
"cil as the estimated revenue Of H!ch-
'""Hu Tor the current year. Mayor
Hlhsiie and HIS advisory board have
gotten villain sight OF the goal--,he
substance upon which the Mayor is
10 bah" his budget. The Mayer AMI
nus advisory board have wooded out
appropriations which may not be alb
so!Iteiy necessary AT this time. and
'h"T nope within tac next few days
I" nave tno budget In shape for final
revision. when The budget Is finally.
adopted, there - no reason TO believe
thNt II VIII not be absolutely free
from Unnecessary appropriations.
Mayer hinsiic yesterday ISSUED a
comprehensive statement Of the sit
uation. which rhows what has henn
accomplished and what are the needs
OF .he city for the coming year as
esi!maicd BY the advisory board:
Up 10 Thirty days ago I lndulrca
myself with the notion that the 1921
budget would lie much less di.i,ult
to make up than either OF the other
two executive budgets. This was
largely based on my assumption that
1871 revenues would be very con-
siderab'y larger. owing to the In
crease IN assessments and The In
creased tax rate. and that therefore
we should have considerable excess
for budget purposes over previous
years. A. have gone into the actual
making UP of the budget this exccss
h,as acted much like the descr,
mirage. that is TO say. the closer
nave gotten to 1t the more 1t has
faded away.
iiis incrcasc In Dcht
~ Few days ago the CITY Comp
\ ,rol!er handed me the figures whlc II
the charter requires him 20 present.
they being his estimate OF revenues
j for the coming Year and his state
mcnt OF the amount necessary FOR
debt service: that is 10 say, Interest
aud redemption on The debt .! the
city. and the surplus that We had
hoped for has all hu. faded away
entirely have had TWO long scs-
sions WIKI the comptroller wiki re-
gard 20 the figures submitted hy him
and. as J have been unable clearly to
demonstrate that they are wrong. I
nm required by law 10 make UP the
budget upon them upon the assump-
tlon that they are right.
in other words. am bound by
them The enormous Increase in tn.
debt service. caused by The issue OF.
about Two and onc-half millions of
shof;-term bonds last year. Will CON
sumo the major portion OF the excess
that We had hoped for, and. putting
down the five large departments Of
Safety, Welfare. Works. Utilities and
Schools AZ exactly what they got last
year and dcducting roundly $4,000
from all Other municipal activities
we shall have a surplus OF 500. 900
OF this $4,000 must be allowed to
utilities. for they are expected TO put
$3.50. 900 OF additional revenue into
the treasury. and the latter sum is
includcd in the comptro!lcr's estimate
OF the city's gross revenues. This
means that we shall have surplus
OF $4,000 over last year available
for all departments.
Automatic increases.
AS there are certain automatic in
safety. due TO the classification Of
policemen and fremen. Il large part
OF this sum Will be consumed There
are two things that had set my
mind and heart upon doing for the
coming year-one was to add to the
enuipment of the Street Cleaning Dc
oartmcnt, so that our streets might
sc kept cleaner, and the other was
20 increase the street repair force
about so per cent in order that the
unpaved streets. of which there are
so many miles in the city and about
the condition OF which we have so
ruc. complaint due 10 the heavier
nd spcedicr traffic passing over
he,n might be kept in better condl-
zion imagine that nobody will dis
A,pte the dcsirability OF those two
hiocs. And yet, although asked
IN. directors TO make those additions
their 1921 budgets. | have had to
vi them out because there are no
,ods for them. How 10 make our
,stlmated surplus OF $4,000 cover
HI obvious Increased needs OF the
Baye large departments is task
3h!ch amounts to an impossibility.
thc 1927 budget is by long odds the
most liGicult | have had to make up"
Estimates.
Thc following interesting exhibit
4 made:
Comptroller's estimate OF revenue
or 1921, s6.oG4.9So.24.
Less per cent reserve. s34S,24e.o1.
Net revenue, s6.616,73L23.
Debt service. s1.579.s2103.
Balance. s5.036.910.oo.
In the 1920 budget appropriations
Is accounts OF Council. Mayor, courts
nd juries. Juvenile Court. miseella-.
locus, superannuated employees. law
apartment and finance department
Continued on Second Page.S 8