Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-06-07
/ TWO BILLS Will Be
SENT To ATLANTA ON
SCHOOL TAX QUESTION
City Council to Prepare Own
Measure Fixing Taxation
Authority of Body
WANT BOARD TO REPORT
Second Measure VIII Provide
for Submission of Statement
of Expenditures to Council

City council met Wednesday
night in regular session and after
three hours discussion, punctuated
with numerous clashes between OPP
posing factions, decided to oppose
the bill prepared by the Board of
Education levying tax of 8 mills
for maintenance and operation of
Americus' schools.
Instead the council will prepare
its own bill covering the needs of
the schools, though it was agreed
that a maximum taxation Of 8 mills
should be provided for in this meas
ure.
Another interesting decision was
that to incorporate in the proposed
bill a time limit within which the
provisions of the bill are to expire
automatically, and passage of a res
olution instructing City Attorney
Lane to prepare still another bill af-
fecting the board Of education. This
second bill would require the board
to make stated reports of its re-
ceipts and expenditures to city
council.
Much of the discussion eentered
about a resolution introduced by
Chairman E. J. Witt. of the finance
committee, askino the senator and
representative from Sumter to in
corporate into any bill affecting
taxation here a referendum clause.
This resolution was originally in
troduced in the following form:
"Be it Resolved, by the mayor
and city council of Americus IN
regular meeting assembled, and it
lis hereby resolved by authority Of
the same, that the mayor and city
council of Americus do hereby re-
quest the two representatives in
the lower branch of the general as
sembly, from Sumter county, Geor-
gia, and the senator representing
the Thirteenth senatorial district of
Georgia, who is also resident of
the City of Americas, to see that
any bill which may be introduced at
the approaching session of the gen.
eral assembly of Georgia affecting
the procedure Of, or the taxes to be
levied by the said mayor and city
council of Americus for school pur-
poses or otherwise, shall have in
cluded in such bill what is known as
referendum clause providing that
no such bill as may be passed shall
become operative until ratified by
a majority vote of those voting,
within the incorporate limits of the
City of Americus."
Two or three changes therein
were made, however, by Alderman
Witt in an effort to make the reso-
luton conform to certain objections
voiced by other members present,
and after the discussion had pro-
gressed half an hour or longer it
was almost imnossible to determine
definitely what some of the mem
bers really desired done with the
question.
Alderman Carswell, after the
Witt resolution had been so changed
as to cover onlv any bill proposing
to levy maximum of more than Z
mills for schools, moved substi-
tute for the whole. This substitute
provided that City Attorney Lane
be instructed to draw bill author
izing city council to levy maxi
mum of 8 mills, and without a refer
endum clause. This substitute was
finally adopted.
The substitute provides that a
time limit during whcih this tax
may be levied be Incorporated in the
bill to be prepared for city council
and does not require council to levy
the whole millage authorized unless
in the judgment of that body the
whole sum be necessary for main
tenance and operation of the
schools.