The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-07-23
DUEMELAND
AND HUGHES NAMED
BY BISMARCK MAYOR
Action Is Taken After BUDGET
Hearing Attended by 20
Taxpayers in City
EXPENDITURE CUTS URGED
Suggestions Where Savings
Might Be Made Brought
Forward by Citizens
EXPENDITURE CUTS URGED

G. B. Little, E. A. Hughes and Henry
Duemeland Wednesday night were
appointed by Mayor A. p. Lenhart to
assist a committee Of the Association
OF Commerce in investigating the city
budget and recommending changes.
Action was taken following the bud
get hearing. attended by 20 taxpayers
VINO were unanimous In the thought
that curtailment Of expenditures by
governmental agencies Is necessary.
Although no M present suggest.
ed definite cuts in the appronria.
tons as listed in the budget by the
city commissioners, all agreed that
further study of the subject would
show places where savings a be
made and that additional study of
the subject is justified in view Of the
importance of their tax bills to
businessmen and home owners under
present conditions.
r. B. Webb, chairman of a tar
committee appointed by the Assoc
clatlon OF Commerce, said it had not
nad sufficient time to 60 into the
budget deeply and that the commit
tee would appreciate the counsel of
older men who also were heavy tax
payers. Little, Hughes and Dueme-
land were added to the COMMITTEES
IN compliance with this suggestion.
Items Are Explained
City Auditor Nj. H. Atkinson az.
planned the various items of the
budget in detail and compared the
proposed expenditures with the a.
mounts spent during the last fiscal
year as previously published by The
tribune. Several Of those who an
peared at the meeting brought with
them this printed list of proposed
expenditures.
All present emphasized that thew
were not suggesting i~nefficiency on
the part of city officials but were
merely representing the need for
curtailment Of public expenditures
at a time when private incomes are
reduced.
In this connection it was suggest
ed that n way of cutting costs
would be to reduce the city's pay
roll, which now totals $4,000 a year.
This seemed to win general agree
ment from taxpayers present.
!he budget contains an item for
fixing up q room above the foyer
OF the city auditorium for use by
the Boy Scouts. Roy Logan sug-
gested that the auditorium be closed
at a saving to the city of about
$4,000 a year.
Total cost Of the World War Me-
mortal building for the year was
listed by Atkinson at $19,5OO, in
GLIDING operating expenses, payment
for the bleachers, originally financ-
ed by the school board, and an over
draft for $1,000 in the construction
fund. Of this amount $11,1O0 must
be raised by taxes, so per cent by
the city, and 40 per cent by the
county.
The total of operating appropria-
tions is $131,000, Atkinson said, and
to this was added $500 for a con.
tingent or emergency fund.
Deficits Are Listed
Explaining deficits in special as
sessment funds, Atkinson said there
is a deficit Of $4,000 in sewer dis
trict funds and $4,000 in paving
districts. He said this item includes
not only de%linquencies but the city's
share Of the paving costs. Delin-
quencies in water main district as
sessments are taken care Of from
operating revenues Of the water
works department.
William Barneck, 612 Ninth St.,
Continued on page three)