Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-09-29
Annual Report of the
City of Alma
Fiscal Year July |, 1920
To June 30. 1921.

City Commission of the
City of Alma, Mich.
Gentlemen:
Attached hereto | am submitting to
your honorable body a financial re-
port of the city for the fiscal year
beginning July l, 1920, and ending
June 30, 1921.
The report is presented in several
schedules as follows
Operating Statements; an analysis
of expenditures of public funds for
the fiscal year.
Cash Analysis Statement; an anal
ysis of the revenue Of the city for the
fiscal year.
Statement of Expenditures by Ac-
tivities; classification of the eXpen-
ditures under the several forms of ac-
tivities or divisions of services rem
dered the public by the municipality.
Balance Sheet; a schedule present
ing the financial condition at the end
of the fiscal year rcflecting the assets
and liabilities and surplus Of the city
as at June 30, 1927.
Heading the operating statement is
summary of the transactions involv-
ing receipts and disbursements Of
cash for the year. The balance at the
beginning Of the year was $S,G57. 80
with which the city was to be run for
three months until October l. the be-
ginning Of new fiscal year, at which
time the taxes collected from July
would be available
In order to overcome what would
L -. a.
Commission at the last general cleo
ton had the fiscal year changed from
October | to July | thus making
available at July l, the beginning of
the new fiscal year, the taxes collect
ed during July, August and Septem-
Der.
This change in the date of the fiscal
period from October to July | was
logical and beneficial move rs there
is nothing to be gained by collecting
taxes three months before they be-
come available for expenditures and
there is great danger i'm most cities Of
spending the tax receipts in advance
OF the beginning of the period for
which purpose they were meant to
finance.
In Alma our tax collection period |
the fiscal year and tax money is
available Immediately it is received.
The receipts for the year amounted
to $685. 13.55 divided into current
city taxes $l6S,021.7l, special assess
ments l1,0277l, sale of water inn |
provement bonds $s0,OO0.0O, sale Of |
water $12,175.7S and miscellaneous
receipts Of $l3,lS5.35. There was al |
s. a transfer Of S5,3402S from the |
Contingent Fund being the amount of
city taxes uncollectcd and returned
delinquent. BY transferring this |
amount of cash to the other funds the
amounts appropriated i'm the budget
adopted by the Commission in May
1920, was received into each fund. |
This amount transferred from the
contingent fund will be reimbursed /
when returned taxes are collected.
Expenditures amounted to S2G1,- |
01090 to which is added the amount |
transferred TO other funds from the |.
contingent fund. There was Sl6l,-
969.l7 spent for current operation or |
COS per cent Of the total and for inn |
provements and new construction !
$104,3S2.0l or 1872 per cent was spent |
Referring to the schedule Of opcr-
ating costs, the expenditures by funds |
are analysed to show costs of labor, |
material, supplies and equipment to |
give a definite conception as to what !
kinds Of material, supplies and equip |
ment were used and for what pur-
poses.
The statement is self-explanatory |
and needs little comment. Attention |
however is called TO the costs Of the |
Board Of Health. In this connection |
there was $530.j7 received from the |
county to reimburse the city for med |
icines, drugs and professional services |
rendered the city poor by the city
physician.
Engineering expense might also be
shown to include all the engineering |
work done on the proposed pavement !
and sidewalk grades, alley and street |
grades and lines, surveys Of proposed |
work, location Of storm sewers, etc
In connection with the Highway
fund there was approximately AZ |
miles of roads to care for. This work !
comprised grading, filling and repair |
ing roads with cinders and gravel, re-
pair Of pavemcnts, cleaning bitches |
and cutting weeds, the city's share Of |
street sprnkling, installation and re-
pair Of street drains and catch-basins, /
construction and maintenance Of |
pavement detours etc.
Attention is called TO the recapitu- |
lation shown at the end Of the above
statement.
OF a total operating cost Of SlG1,-
969.l7, labor received SCI ,95G.40 or
1873 per cent, material, supplies and
equipment purchased amounted to
$100,0l2.76 or G1.7 per cent
For capital outlay 104,3S2.01 was
spent, labor r, ceiving $2l ,GG941 or
206 per cent for work done by the
city. Labor also received a portion
of the $24,940.32 paid out for con
tractual work.
Of the total disbursements amount
ing to $266,351.1S, labor received $685.
625.S2 or 31.4 per cent.
The next schedule shows the re-
ceipts for the year classified by ma
ture for each fund The opening bal !
ance or deficit carried over at the
time the records were opened, the re-
ceipts for the period disbursements |
made and the resulting balance for |