Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-01-06

4SoJ.11 lOT payments 10 OJu6T CHI
ployees; and for 1921 up to date,
$645. 25. We are also of the opinion
that these employees should be paid
direct from the City treasury.
We find also that it is the custom
to pay each election officer at each pri-
mary and general election $1,000, not
withstanding the fact that the law
provides and the county pays these
same officers and allowances fixed by
the statute. This is another item of
expenditure which we believe should
be saved by the City.
We find that there are no ordinances
or resolutions fixing the salaries of
any of these officials, except that the
mayors salary has been fixed by reso-
luton at $4,000 a year., and the treas
urer's salary at $4,000 a year. Ref
erence to most of the other officers APP
pear in the minutes where a raise in
salary has been agreed upon of so
much per month, but not fixing the ac-
tual amount of salary. No ordinances
have been passed fixing any salary as
seems to be required by the Municipal
Corporation Act of 1917, and particu-
larly the Act of 1897, 1 Compiled Stat
utes, page 1897, which the citizens of
North Wildwood adopted in April,
1917. 1t is expressly set forth in this
Act that in order for the mayor to
receive a salary an ordinance must be
adopted fixing the same and not ex-
ceeding $1,000.00 {. We find that a sal
airy has been paid to the mayor since
January 1, 1918. We find that they
pay the City Clerk 100000 per year;
the Collector and Treasurer 81, 100000
per year; Deputy Collector 100000 per
year; two assessors $25O.00 each; So
licitor $4,000; Secretary of the Sink
ing Fund $4,000; Secretary of the
Board of Health $4,000; Chief of Po-
lice $105.00; four regular police Of
icers at $4,000 a month; four life
guards during the three summer
months $4,000 a month; Sewer In
spector $500 per month; Street Su-
pervisor $4,000 per month; and up
until the LIST of August a Director of
Public Works at $4,000 a month.
City Dredge
The gasoline dredge was purchased
; by the City in 1915 and has been used
in the spring and summer of each
year for the purpose of keeping open
the channel in Hereford Inlet. Con-
J siderable complaint has been made by
/ the taxpayers concerning the loaning
of this dredge to individuals, the City
) receiving no pay for these services.
: We found in the year 1921 the City
dredge was in operation during the
months of April, May, June, July and
August, and was stored for the winter
at Beach Creek On or about August II,
1921. During the month of September
Henry Ottens requested the use of the
: City dredge for the purpose of deep
ening the channel in the Ottens Canal
o which is in Wildwood (not part OF
North Wildwood). We have been in
formed by the City officials that nc
payment was made for the use of this
dredge by Mr.. Ottens to the City, but
we are also informed that he paid all
bills for it's operation and made a
number of extensive repairs to the
= machinery and equipment thereof, and
WuSu nIIlSu0u IGIuIH6u Lie uIGuSG "
: it's winter quarters in Beach Creek.
? We also learned that during the
winter of 1920 and '21 the dredge was
: loaned by the City to a number of
: fishermen who were residents of North
Wildwood and operated by them at
= their own expense and used to fill in
about t~hirty-five city lots, thereby in
Z inoroa GIN tho ua1I1n of fhic nrnnnrfu
During the summer of 1921 the
: dredge was used mainly to keep open
the channel running from Anglesea to
Stone Harbor in order that a line of
boats running as a ferry between
these two points could be kept in OPP
Grafton.
Your Commissioners do not see any
,, reason for complaint by reason of the
fact that the City loaned the dredge
during the time when it has no use for
the same, as the private individuals
who have used same have made all
requirements, and in a number of in
: stances improved the equipment. And
we see no objection to the City owning
and operating this dredge as there is
ample opportunity to use same to adj
vantage.
Bills
We have examined the bills and
vouchers for the years 1919, 1920 and
1921, and find that all of these are
under affidavit, with the exception of
about four bills which in each in
stance are for small amounts and for
supplies purchased by the City officials
from concerns in distant cities. In all
the total of these balances will not ex-
coed $500.
All of the bills are properly item
lied with the exception of the ones
presented by Streaker, the Sewer In
spector, as indicated in the forepart
of this report under the subject of