Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-01-07
MAYOR A. b. MERCER MAKES
ANNUAL REPORT TO COUNCIL
the McConnelsville Council:

4
To the McConnelsville Council:
Again it is my duty to submit q
written report to council covering
various projects for the coming
year. At this time wish to thank
every member Of council, the clerk,
the treasurer, the marshal and the
street commissioners for the excep-
tionally faithful performance of
their duties during the past year and
for their constant loyalty to the best
interest of the village During the
past year we have improved the op-
era house, constructed two new
streets, resurfaced Union street and
part of Kennebec avenue, and made
possible many new sidewalks and
have instituted legal proceedings
against the Ohio Fuel Gas Company
which will presently cause a reduc-
tion of the natural gas rate in the
village
Cut In Tax Rate Recommended
For the year 1897 respectfully
| recommend to council the adoption
Of the legislation providing for the
refunding of the outstanding bonded
Indebtedness of the village which
will make available larger sums for
operating expenses of the village
and will result in taking at least one
mill from the tax duplicate in Nc
Connelsville. For the past year the
county budget commissioners have
used the one and a half mills within
the 10 mill limitation ordinarily be-
longing to the general fund of Nc
Connelsville, for the payment Of
bonds and interest and have added
to that two and a half mills outside
of the 10 mill limitation to service
the Indebtedness. From 1887 to
1912 all the outstanding indebted
ness in the village becomes due and
will require some $4,000 per year
to retire it which will necessitate
either the refunding of half Of the
maturities each year at enormous
expense to the town, or the county
budget commissioners must levy an
even greater tax for the bonded in
debtedness of the village In order
to prevent these two contingencies
suggest that we proceed under
House Bill 656 which permits coun-
Gil to refund the entire outstanding
Indebtedness. First, by securing the
consent Of the tax commission, and
secondly, by submitting the PROPOSE
tion to a vote Of the electors, a ma
Jority vote being required. BY such
procedure the amount levied for
bonds and interest can be limited to
one and half mills outside of the
1O mill limitation; whereas two and
a half mills are now being levied;
this in effect means reduction Of one
mill in the tax rate and further re-
leases the mill and a half within the
10 mill limitation for operating ex-
penses, and will possibly result in
taking off one Of the mills levied in
the two mill levy approved by the
people in McConnelsville year ago.
am submitting herewith the prop
er resolution and have prepared the
application and all the exhibits :
necessary to secure the approval OF
the tax commission for such a POI
icy, and / earnestly recommend the
enactment of this legislation in the
interest of lower taxes in McCon-
nelsville, and the orderly and busi-
ness-like funding of our outstanding
obligations.
The Gas Rate
One step remains to be completed
IN the preparation for trial in our
suit against the Gas company, and
that step is: Provide expert testi-
mony as to the valuation of the
company property. | recommend to
council and to attorneys for the
town in this case, the employment
of City Engineer Walter Graft, of
Lancaster, Ohio, as one of the ex-
perts for the appraisal of gas COM
pany property here. Mr.. Graft is a
man Of wide experience in the natur-
al gas business and in operating the
Lapcaster municipal plant, and his
counsel will be invaluable to this
community. This case should be
ready for trial early in March.
Public Improvements
For 1887 we are ready to COM
plete the Fifth street project for the
resurfacing of two blocks thereon,
1t will be necessary to install
street light at the intersection of
Morris and McNabb streets, and to
add one or two lights inside the cor
poration limit on the Marietta road
to take care of the present unlight-
ed condition. This can be done with
out expense to the village by trans
ferring three lights on the fair
ground road, which at the present
time do not serve anyone and can
be transferred to the new location
without increasing the village light
bill
+ I trust that during the coming
year We can center our efforts upon
the continued Improvement of the
town, a genuine reduction of the tax
rate and to secure more efficient
and cheaper gas service than we
have had in the past.-Respectfully
submitted, A. B. Mercer, Mayor OF
the Village of McConnelsville Ohio.
The council at its meeting last
night, passed the resolution, as sug-
gested by Mayor Mercer, taking ad-
vantage of the provision Of Fl. b.
No. 656. Mayor Mercer is author
lied by council to prepare the appli-
cation and to appear before the tax
representing the village,
for which he is to receive no COM
pensation, other than his actual and
necessary expenses therein.