Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-05-13
CALL FOR CHANGE IN FORM
OF CITY RULE is SOUNDED
w. M. Jones Says Time Is Here To Consider Com
mission-Manager Form-Provisions of Levy
Law Cited; May Be Violated

That the time is here to consider
seriously the adoption of the COM
mission-manager form of government
for Americas to afford a remedy for
the city's serious financial condition,
was the statement made before the
Kiwanis club today by w. NJ. Jones,
a member of the club, and business
man and director of the Chamber OF
Commerce.
Mr.. Jones called upon the fedora
ton committee of the three civic
clubs and the Chamber of Commerce
to get together and study the com
mission manager question as related
to the needs of Americas and report
to these organizations, and If the rep
resentatives of the combined organl-
cations recommend the change be
made that all get behind it and put
it across; and that if it is found not
desirable to so recommend.
The speaker stated that the public
had been aware for a long time Of
the serious financial CONDITION Of
the city, and that there was no dispo-
sition on his part or that of other per-
sons, he was sure, to attempt to place
the blame for conditions as they exist
at the present time, inasmuch as con-
ditions have been bad for long time
and are not particularly to be charg-
ed to the present city administra-
ton. He voiced the belief, however,
that conditions as just revealed de-
mand remedy and proposed that this
investigation proposed by him be en-
tered into in an effort to find the rem
ed. The remarks of Mr.. Jones were
listened to attcntively, but no action
was formally proposed by him or
anyone else and none was taken.
Mayor Sheppard, City Clerk Ed
ridge, Alderman Mashburn and AL
derman Harris, all members of the
club, were present.
Considerable discussion was heard
about the streets today also on the
immediate needs for a change in the
form of government here, following
the publication yesterday of the audi
tors report on the condition of the
city's affairs. 1t also developed by
a reading of the charter amendment
under which the per cent special
levy was assessed three years ago
that the law permitting the levy as
enacted by the state legislature has
possibly been violated by the mayor
and city council. The act specifies
that this special levy must be used
for no other purpose than paying off
the city's floating Indebtedness. The
floating debt has been increased in
stead of decreased, as shown by the
report, the special tax has
been collected for three full years,
and there is now on hand not a cent
of this money in the city treasury.
1 hat the previous audit was not cor
rect, however, and that the full 8
mills has been used in paying I'M
records portions of the old debt is
the statement of Alderman Burke.
A reading of the act also reveals
that it authorized. the mayor and
council to issue notes anticipating
the revenue from the special levy for
hquidating the entire 100000 ia
debtedness, which was then the limit
of the floating indebtedness as shown
by the audit, the notes to be paid
from the revenue collected from the
levy. This was never done and no
provision ever made for paying off
this floating Indebtedness with the
special levy.
The amendment to the city char
ter, approved by Governor Dorsey
August 7, 1919, providing for a spe-
clal five mill levy for period of
five years to liquidate the city's
Indebtedness, of which not
exceeding two mills might be given
to the city schools, contains the fol-
loving clause in Section 2: