The Wilmington morning star., 1947-09-06
The Budget Adopted

Inc BUdgeC AQOpCe0
There are several significant facts
that must be considered in connection
with the new city budget and the tax
rate finally adopted by the Council yes
terday. They were cited by Mayor e. l..
White in the statement he read at the
Council session, which was attended
by a large number of business men and
representatives of the Real Estate
Board.
Among them Mr.. White listed the
constant increasing cost of operation,
the rise in prices of supplies, materials
and maintenance obligations, and the
shrinkage in revenue, notably the reve-
nue. anticipated from ABC stores.
Chief significance, however, lodges
in the failure of the Council last year
to fix the budget sufficiently high and
raise the tax rate enough to meet all
requirements of the city government,
so that there would have been no need
to employ the surplus fund and the
capital reserve fund in meeting the
City's obligations during the 1946-47
fiscal year. If this had been done the
1947-48 budget and tax rate would not
have had to be raised, the first to
81, SOB, 232 and the second to $1.30.
Shrinking revenues, advancing costs,
and the failure Of the last Council to
make provision for ~foreseeable increas-
ed obligations, therefore, made it i'm
perative that the present Council adopt
a budget that would permit the City
to maintain it's economic equilibrium,
it's efficiency in operation, and prevent
a default in it's obligations.
A city in default would be a city
without hope.
When the Real Estate Board, through
it's president, Mr.. Frederick Willetts,
ST., presented recommendations at yes
terday's session, for reducing the bud
get, it overlooked the fact that the City
had already made a careful examination
of each separate item presented by
every department, and pared it to the
lowest cost compatible with efficient
operation. For this reason, several Of
the Boards recommendations, partic-
ularly those proposing further consoli-
dation of departments, were shown to
be impracticable, both by Mayor White
and by speakers from the council cham
Der floor.
For example, the Board recommend
ed adjustment of the office of assist
ant city manager, together with the
building inspector and purchasing
agent, and that the duties of the pur-
chasing agent be added to those of the
city manager, who had been granted
the right to employ an assistant because
he had already had more work than
any man could do. The other proposed
consultations were in a similar pat
tern.
One proposal, however, is we'll worth
adopting. This is the adjustment of
the office of back-tax collector. This
office could well be suspended, as the
purpose for which it was established
has been accomplished.
The boards proposals, on the whole,
achieved n good result. They impress
sed the Council with the imperative
need to practice the strictest economy
in administration. In fact, in voting for
the budget as fixed, Mayor White sug-
gested the ACCESSIBILITY of bringing in
an expert on city government to survey
the city's situation and make such
recommendations for economies with
out detriment to the city and it's SER
vices to the people.
This would be an advisable move.
Whatever savings could be effected
during the current fiscal year would
leave the city with a surplus, instead
of a deficit, and react to the benefit of
the taxpayers.