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December
<br />
<br /> At a regular meeting of the
<br />at 8:00 P.M., there were present:
<br />
<br />City Council,
<br />
<br />hold en Tuesday,
<br />
<br />December 2Nth,
<br />
<br />John p. Loigh, Leslio ~T. Fox, George L,
<br />chins, Frank D. Lawrence, C. E~ Warren,
<br />City M~uager.
<br />
<br />Grimes, James N. Howard, W.R. Hut-
<br />H. Earl Weiseman, Pearle J. Wilson,
<br />
<br />Minutes of provious meeting were read and ~nproved.
<br />
<br />The Manager presented the following lotters:
<br />
<br />1st -
<br />
<br />"Mr. 0has. F. Harper,
<br /> City. Manager,
<br /> Portsmouth, Va.
<br />
<br /> Doar Sir:
<br /> in checking ever the tax list of my brother, J~mes
<br />Parrish, I find that h~ ~as paid taxes for the years 1936 and 1937, amounting to $41.2~, on
<br />property situated at 2~18-18 Air Line Tur~oike, which property was completely destroye~ by
<br />fire on N~vember 2~, 1935, and respectfully request that the amount of those t~xes be refund-
<br />ed by the City.
<br /> Yours very truly,
<br />
<br />G. R. Parrish,"
<br />
<br />On motion of Mr. Hutehins, ssme was referred to the City Attorney.
<br />
<br />for this year."
<br />reading:
<br />
<br />2nd "I recommend that the tax rate for 1938 be fixed at $2.50, the same as
<br />
<br />On motion of Mr. Hutchins, the following ordinance was placed on its first
<br />
<br /> '~A~J ORDINANCE !~POSINGA~UD COLLECTING TAXES ON REAL ESTATE,
<br /> TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY, AND ~IAC~ERY WITHIN THE LIMITS
<br /> OF THE CITY OF POBTSMOUTH~ VIRGINIA, FOR THE PURPOSE OF
<br /> RAISING REVENUE FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
<br /> PUBLIC FREE SCHOOLS AND TO PAY iNTEREST AND SINKING FUND ON
<br /> THE PUBLIC DEBT FOR THE YEAR BEGINNING JANUARy l, 1938."
<br />
<br /> 3rd - "During the year, we paid off $67,5OO. of ~He City's bonds, in addi-
<br />tion to paying the other obligations of the City. It is necessary to re-issue this amount
<br />of bonds, which will leave the City with the same amount of bonded indebtedness.
<br /> I want the total curtailment of the City's debt applied on ~he Float-
<br />ing Debt. This has been curtailed $~80,000.00 already,~u~ will bo our~iled~ ~ $20,000.00 mo_e~
<br />in a few days, which will be a net decrease of the City's debt, for the year, of $~00,000~00.
<br /> On the first ef January, we will turn over to the Sinking Fund Com -
<br />mission, $'$0,000.O0 to be placed to the credit of the Water Department, and $7~,000o00 to be
<br />placed to the credit of the City proper. After this is done~ I estimate that~ we will still
<br />have enoug~ money, together with the expected collectionsduring the year, to run the City in
<br />1938 on a 'pay as you go' basis, as we did in 1937.
<br /> The net result of the City's financial ooerations for the year will
<br />show a reduction in the City's Floating Debt, at the banks, from ~6t0,O00~00 to $210,000~00,
<br />without borrowing any money and without increasing the amount of the City~s bonded debt.'~
<br />
<br />reading:
<br />
<br />On motion of Mr. Howard, the following ordinance was placed on its first
<br />
<br />"AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF SIXTY'SEV~ THOUSAND
<br />DOLLARS ($67,O00~O0) BONDS OF THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA,
<br />FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAVING AND CUP3Ih'G CERTAIN STREETS OF THE
<br />CITY, i~&~KING PBOVISION FOR FOP~ OF SAID BONDS Ai~-D FOR THE
<br />PAYMENT THEREOF."
<br />
<br /> 4th "There is being promoted, by certain citizens of Norfolk, a plan to
<br />have passed at the coming meeting of the Legislature, a bond issue of eight million dollars~
<br />to build what is termed a sewage disposal system for Norfolk, Newport News, Portsmouth, etc.
<br />If this plan is carried out, it wi~l probably impose upon the people on this side of the
<br />river an additional tax of around $150,O00.00 a year, from which, as I see it, Portsmouth can
<br />hope to receive very little benefit.
<br /> Of course, this bond issue has to be voted on by the people, but the
<br />catch in the bill, which is going to be introduced when the Legislature meets: is so worded as
<br />to cause Portsmouth to vote, in reality, as an outlyin~ v~rd of Norfolk. That arrsngement
<br />will depr&ve Portsmouth of its independence as asepara~e unit in voting for or against the
<br />bond issue; as, even though this ~ity should vote a large majority against the bond issue,
<br />should Norfolk and Newport News together have a greater majority for it, the people of Ports-
<br />mouth would s~ill have to shoulder a debt of approximately one and one-half million dollars,
<br />from which they will get very little benefit, if any.
<br /> we should insist that our local delegates and State Senator oppose
<br />the bill vigorously, unless it is so worded that the people of Portsmouth shall have the un -
<br />disputed right ~o say whether they will or will not enter into an agTeement of such magnitude,
<br />with such far-reaching consequences. To allow a bill to be passed in the Legislature, impos-
<br />ing an additional tax on the people, of approximately $150,000.00 a year, against their will,
<br />will be a great injustice, and those of us whom the people h~ve honored snd to whom the peo-
<br />ple are looking for protection, should prevent it, if it is within our po~er to do so."
<br />
<br />On motion filed.
<br />
<br />
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