San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-08
INSISTS BLACK
FIRE EMPLOYEES
HELD SURPLUS
Pfeiffer Says Mayor Spends
Three Times as Much
as Predecessor.
LOOKING FOR MONEY
Mayor Sounding Out Banks
in Attempt to Borrow
More Funds.

'Since Mayor Black has insisted
on appropriating $500 TO prepare
the grounds for the fiesta pageant.
when he has no money aavilable, he
better get rid of the surplus employees
in the executive department and cut
the number down TO where it was be-
fore and where it belongs
This warning was sounded Thurs
day by Commissioner of Taxation
John =. Pfeiffer and follows the ap-
preparation of $500 over the tax
commissioners protest for scooping
out the bowl on the Romano street
property where the Fiesta Association
is to stage its pageant. Work on
the project was begun Thursday morn
ing and according to Street Commits
sioner William o. Rieden. it probably
will cost more than the $500 appro-
priated.
Although the tax commissioner did
not so state. it is understood that he
will protest the mayors payrolls in
the future unless the mayor makes
drastic cuts in his executive force.
Commissioner Pfciffcr has pointed out
several times lately that the mayor
is spending almost three times as
much money on the executive depart
ment as his predecessor, Sam Bell
did.
Commissioner Pfeiffer also took the
mayor to task for his failure to sub
nit the final budget to the council
for adoption. This budget. the tax
commissioner said. should have been
submitted before now.
Has Scheme TO Get Money.
81 have been trying to get the final
budgets adopted for three weeks"
Commissioner Pfeiffer said. 1T is
the duty of the mayor to prepare this
budget and submit it to the council.
Yet he is still delaying"
When informed that the mayor is
working on a plan whereby the city
will borrow 100000 TO make up the
deficit which threatens the city. the
tax commissioner said that the knew
nothing of it. that the mayor had not
taken him into his confidence. The
report was that the mayor is negotiat-
WIFI du
loan of 100000. the city TO give its
delinquent taxes as security, and that
the plan may go through if Judge
J. Il. Sludcr passes on its Legality.
1t is reported that n bank from Aus
tin may loan the mon.
IF any such negotiations are un-
der way" Tax Commissioner Pfeiffer
said. II am not aware Of them. The
mayor has not called me into confer
ence on it. Yet. in view Of the fact
that ] am the finance commissioner.
it would be the logical thing to do.
Mayor Black is not the whole cheese
a u he may discover that he must
submit any such contract to the coun-
ell for ratification"
Taking up the mayors claim that
there is an enormous amount of money
owing the city in delinquent taxes.
which can be collected and would
therefore provide good security for a
loan, the tax commissioner declared
that such is not the case.
Back Tax Collection Uncertain.
There is. owing to the general fund
for the period from 1913 TO 1919 in
elusive. the tax commissioner said, a
total of $2I9,O00. This represents
about = IL per cent of the total levy.
As the bulk of it is on personal prop
erty, he said, it will be possible TO
collect but a very small portion of it.
For the year 1920. Commissioner
Pfeiffer said. there is 100000 in de-
linquent taxes. approximately > per
cent of the levy. OF this S103.O00
he said. about one-half is collectible.
but collection may require several
years. For the year 1921. there is
$40, 900 unsolicited. or -about 10 per
cent of the levy. About 80 per cent
of this is eollectible, but also may re-
guire several years.
There is then available from the
back tax fund, the tax commissioner
said, approximately $4,000. Even
this cannot be collected at once so
there is very little chance of augment
ing the general revenues of the city
any considerable amount from the
back tax fund. In view of this fact,
the tax commissioner expects TO in
sist that the mayor, as well rs the
other commissioners, cut down his
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