New Britain herald., 1928-02-17
Points Out Only 10 Members, 0ne-Third of Government Voted for its Passage.
Finance Board Stands by Original Recommenda- ti0n, Learning That Cuts Were Arbitrary.

he is considering vetoing the resolu. :ion passed last night by the com. mon council establishing the tax rate at 26 mills based on appropria. tions which council committee ad- nitted has been arbitrarily slashed at conference in the afternoon. The tax rate was adopted only after lengthy discussion. Before the reso- lution can become effective 1t must bear the mayors signature.
 Only 17 members of the common council were present at the meeting and only 10 voted for it." Mayor Weld said in explanation of his present intention to use his power of veto. "These 10 represent just one- third of the council membership, one-third of the city government. Many voted for it without knowing what they were voting for. Some voted for the lower tax rate because the spring elections are coming on."
 Mayor Weld added that he hesi- tates to veto the resolution only be- cause it would delay the levytng Of the tax and the appropriation of funds for departments.
 Mayor Weld will take no action either way today. but by tomorrow when he has given the matter fur ther study he will make his deci- sion. Mayor Weld indicated he would call special meeting of the coun- cil within 2s hours after his veto, if he decides to take this action.
 Questioned today as to whether he would be acting legally if hs vetoed the councils action, the mayor said he believed that he VI acting within the city ordinances. but added that he would ask Cor poration Counsel John H. Kirkham for a ruling if he should decide to use veto power.
 Mayor Warns Of Special Tax
 Against the advice of Mayor Weld. the warning by Finance Board 'tion would be almost certain to lead to special tax. and the unanimous vote of the board of finance and taxation in opposition. the council reduced the tax rate from :e l-2 mills to 26 mills after cutting the estimates In nearly 70 instances.
 A special committee of five mem- bers of the common council had been in session for one hour in the afternoon and during that period hacked off S59.676, more than S2,- 800 in excess of what was necessary, to bring about one half mill cut.
 Members of the board of finance and taxation met in the evening and, after hearing Councilman Don- aid l.. Bartlett explain where the cuts had been made. inquired whether hearings were given de- partment chairman or if the reduce tions were made arbitrarily. When he replied that the latter was true. the commissioners voted to stand by their guns" and again recom- mended the .G 1-2 mills tax.
 As the finance board sat in the spectators gallery. the council on recommendation of Alderman Wall ter l.. Falk, voted 10 to s in favor Of the cut.
 Appropriations Affected
 The reductions affected in appro- priations previously approved by the finance board were:
 School department: Printing. S35u; supplies. s2.90o; text books, s2.Oo0; repairs. s4,50o; insurance. s6,00O. which was found to be an excess due to mistake in the figuring when this appropriation was requested; miscellaneous, s1.200.
 Public works: omobiles. &1,OOo: cleaning streets. $2,Ooo; engineering and office supplies. $2.O0O: general repair of streets. $3,0O0: macadam repair. s2.o0o; oiling of streets, se.- 800: permanent pavement repair4 S1,2oo; salaries. sSl6; semi -perman- ent pavement repairs. sl.co0; store- house and yard. $1,0oo; new tools. 5000: grading. $1,500: new macad- am. S2,000; stone travelled ways, S.. coo: permanent pavement, $2.p00.
 Police department: gasoline and oil. 500: automobile repairs, $1z0: incideHtals. s250; garage rental, s120; new traffic signals (cut en- tirely.) $1,650; new cable (cut en- tirely) $500; police equipment. $500; new automobile for detectives. (cut entirely) $500.
 Health department: Office and la hratory. $1So; printing. $7o: inci- dentals. s10o: maintenance of auto mobiles. $500.
 Fire depatment: Jncidentals. S12o: fuel. s1O0: fire alarm system. $500: repairs to buildings. $200: for remodeling No. fire station. $2.000.
 In the special appropriations fund. the item for street improvement was cut from s20.00o to .t1S.o00. In inc category of general government incl dentals. s4.000 was cut from the to- tai of S40.00o.
 Cuts CnaaiWs0usiy Rcco&saaca6c1
 The reductions voted were rec commended for the most part hy Councilman Bartlett. but in every instance were made by unani1noss vote of the committee which haA = its members. besides Bartlett Al. derman J. Gustav Johnson. Al1er- (Continued on Page tsl