The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-12-16
COMMUNICATION FROM
MIR. E. L. CARNEY

the statement of Mr.. Brumby, our city
manager, in the Star of a few issues
back, of the work done on Oklawaha
avenue and asking any one to call at
his Office as to figures, if not satisfied
with his statement, | am availing my
self of this notice to have my say.
| am one who is not satisfied with
work as done on this street under Mr..
Brumby's direction or non-direction.
Mr.. Brumby on entering on his
duties as city manager had given to
him a carte blanche commission by
our city council and he has not been
slow in exercising all powers his
commissioners have given him. He
stated to me when we first met that
the city had given him such powers,
but said 81 wish the citizens of Ocala
to understand that l am not their
boss, but their servant"
This sentiment is fine, thought /,
if carried out, but how many citizens
along Oklawaha avenue have ever
been consulted or if consulted needed
as to matters of the street? He, under
protest from most of the citizens of
Oklawaha avenue, tore up, dug down
and hauled off our good lime founda-
tion, dug away our good curbing, put
down under the direction of a former
city engineer and narrowed our street
about three feet. Why should | be
satisfied with this mutilation of our
street, destruction of its beauty and
Utility and at the same time pay an
exorbitant price for being bled? I
consider Mr.. Brumby's management
of our city affairs up to date is the
most costly experiment the city has
ever had. Of all the badly managed
propositions, either of a private or
public nature, that / have ever known,
think Oklawaha avenue is the
worst.
Thousands Of dollars have been
thrown away needlessly from the
very beginning of the work on the
east end of the street. A large squad
of negroes has been employed on this
street day in and out for weeks, with
out visible white boss most of the
time, in the usual negro kill time way.
In factt the negroes told me they did
not know what to do or what was ex-
pected of them.
The city has been twenty-five years
in making an ideal foundation for a
permanent macadam or paved street
and here comes along our new thought
man, who tears up this foundation at
cost of thousands of dollars to our
taxpayers and has laid brick upon a
freshly made shallow bed.
Our Dixie Highway people, suppos-
ed to be technically trained men, de-
mand, so learn, that II inches oil
lime be put down as a foundation or
their road and this II inches of lime
rolled down to eight inches thick be-
fore surfacine begins. Our Oklawahs
avenue had from eight to twenty in
ches of lime thoroughly packed anc
Ijust what the Dixie people are seek
ing to do. Yet our new manager
hauls off all of this lime foundation
Why? 1t has been suggested to leve
the street. You know streets can only
be bricked in Florida when very, yer,
level! The sand basis may be better
for soft brick, but what of the con
ditions five years hence? This sane
basis for brick streets has been test
ed over and over again for fifty year
in Florida and exploded.
, Most of our citizens suppose tha
the certificate bond busines has al
end or limit, but not SO, only at tn
sweet will of our city council. TIL,
statutes of 1917 provided for ou
present city charter and this charte
does not require that all city bond
, shall first be submitted to and vote
upon by our citizens before bein.
, legalized, as we have heretofore bee
, led to believe But that bonds cal
be issued at any time and in an
} quantity up to 20 per cent. of cit.
assessed valuation backed by certif
Gates (as collateraD issued agains
2 abutting properties worked by city.
4 The majority of our present cit
council was elected with the expec
e tation that the council would be cor
Y servative and economical and now W
r find our taxes have gone up one-thir
n higher for 1922, and I learn expen
< Iditures have reached the legal limit.
if not gone beyond. It seems that ou
charter grants all powers of cit
n management to the heads under fiv
e hats with the privilege of sub lettin
2 most of the powers to a manager. !
there any remedy for this conditio
of affairs? It Is true that our char
e ten, provides for recall but the cor
ditions of this clause in the charte
can avail us nothing at this time. Th