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there
<br />
<br /> At a regular meeting of the City Council, held Je~uary 9th, 1940, at 7:00 P.M.
<br />were present:
<br />
<br /> John P. Leigh, Leslie T. Fox, George L. Grimes, James N. Howard, '~o R.
<br /> Hutchins, Frank D~ Lawrence, C. E. ~Yarren, H.Earl Weieeman, Pestle J~
<br /> Wilson, and Chas. F. Hg. rper, City Manager.
<br />
<br /> Minutes of regular meeting held December 26th~ 1939, were read and approved.
<br />
<br />The following communications from the City ~&gnager %~re .read:
<br />
<br /> 1st - Tl?e. City Manager stated ~ha~ the Portsmouth Community Library has asked
<br />for an appropriation of $600.00 for the year 1940, and he would now recommend an appropriation
<br />of $300.00 for the year 1940~ for ss~d purpose.
<br />
<br /> ifotion of Mr. Lawrence tO concur in the Msnager~s reco~mendatlon ~ud to ap -
<br />propriate $300.'00 for said purpose, was adopted, and by the following vote:
<br />
<br />.Howard, Hutchins, Lawrence, Uarren~
<br />
<br />Ayes-- Leigh, Fox, Grimes,
<br /> Weiseman~ Wilson
<br />Nays None
<br />
<br /> ~ud ~ The Manager stated that.,at the reey~est of the Prentis Park Garden Club,
<br />he had planted two cedar trees in front of the Des Moines Fire station, at a cost of $50.00,
<br />and recommended an appropriation of $50.00 for same.
<br />
<br />Motion of Mr. Grimes to appropriate CpO.CO for said purpose~ was adopted.
<br />
<br /> 3rd - '~I recommend that ~B continue our present tax ra~e of $2.50 per hundred
<br />the ss~e as it has been in 1937, '38 end ~39-"
<br />
<br />In connection herewztn~ the following ordins~ce was placed on its first read-
<br />
<br />"AN OPJ)INANCE LMPOS!NG A~ND COLLECTING TAXES ON REAL ESTATE,
<br />TANGIBLE a~ PERSONAL PROPERTY. AND MAOHINERY, WITH~ TF~
<br />LIMITS OF TRE CiTY OF PORTS~4OUTH, VIRGINIA, FOR TRE PURPOSE
<br />OF RAISING REVENUE FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE GOVEPd~NT AND
<br />THE PUBLIC FREE SCHOOLS, ~2~D TO PAY iNTEREST ~D SINKI~G
<br />~JND ON THE PUBLIC DEBT FOR THE ~EAR BEGI~NING J~JARY let,
<br />1940."
<br />
<br />4th -
<br />
<br />~On August let, of this year, the following bonds will mature:
<br />
<br />School Bonds
<br />Paving & Street Improvement Bonds
<br />S~xth Ward Improvement Bonds
<br />Seventh Ward Improvement Bonds
<br />
<br />50~000.OO
<br />1~5,0OO,OO
<br /> 3?,5on.co
<br /> 37,500°oo
<br />
<br />Total -
<br />
<br />$ 250,000~00
<br />
<br />in 1940,
<br />ing:
<br />
<br /> I have arranged~_th the Sinking Fund Com~ission to pay these bonds
<br />in full, when they come due, but it is necessary to have a formal reques~ f~om the'City Coun-
<br />cil to the Sin/ming Fund, for this purpose.
<br /> T?As will save the City $10~650.00 interest annually."
<br />
<br /> ~ion of Er. Warren that ws request the Sinking FundCommiesion to pay said
<br />bonds~ when due, was adopted.
<br />
<br /> 5th "Two years ego, certain promoters and bonding companies introduced in
<br />the Legislature a Bill forming a so-called sanitaz-y distric% including all the cities in
<br />Tidewater. Senator Hillard, Hugh Johnston, John Wallabee and the City Manager appeared before
<br />the Legislature and succeeded in convincing the Legislature that our City should have a separ-
<br />ate vote as to %he bond issue.
<br /> ?~en the election was held~ Portsmouth, Norfolk County and Suffolk
<br />went on record against the bond issue about eight ~o one.
<br /> The ssme promoters have dra%rn up another Bill of the same kind, whieh
<br />~ll be presented at this session of the Legislature. We opposed ~he Bill then, and oppose
<br />it now -first, because it does not bring about anti-pollution or purification, therefore
<br />should not pass in its present for~; second~ because it bears an interest rate of six per
<br />cent, ~.~ich should not exceed three per cent at the present time; third, it will cosZ the
<br />orooerty o~mers of this City, during t~hirty years, whi~m is the life of the bond issue, ap -
<br />~ro~i~ately four ~ud one-half million dollars, for ?~nioh we can not possibly receive any ben~
<br />efito
<br /> It is true that ~he Legislature has a right to pass a law compelling
<br />all cities to establish anti-pollution plants. Should such a law be passed, the City of
<br />Portsmouth would require two plants~ at a cost of $175~OO0. each - total $350,000., mud we
<br />can borrow money for this purpose at a rate of interest not exceeding three per cent, but if
<br />we become part of the so-called district, our portion of the bond issue will ~mount to at
<br />least one ~nd one-half million dollars. ~srefore~ we reserve the right to build our
<br />plants, provided the Stats cornels us to do so.
<br /> I feel ~hat our Senator and our two members of the House of Delegates
<br />should be officially informed of the City's stand on this question° I therefore have request-
<br />ed the City Attorney to draw a resolution, ~o be passed by the Council, copy of which will be
<br />sent to Senator Hillard, also a copy each to Delegates Cassell sad Walton."
<br />
<br />
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