Minutes 09/12/1933 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Notion of Mr. Mayo that we concur in the Manager's recommendation and that an appropriation of $2,000.00 for said purpose be laid on table until next meeting, was adopted. 3rd-- "The special Session of the General Assembly of Virginia, which closed last week, passed a hil.1 known a.s House BilI ~59; amending Portsmouth, s-charter by adding a mew section uumbered ~ A, which reads as ~ollows.. ' section ~8-A. The 0ity 00lleCtcr in cclleoting taxes shall Collect the oldest taxes first, and shall in no case issue his receipt for the current-year until all prior taxes are paid. The possession of a tax receipt issued by the City Collector shall be conclusive evidence that all prior taxes which are chargeable against the lands in such receipt de- scribed or in case of a personality tax against the person named in such re~ipt, have been fully paid and shall De a ba~ to the collection of any prior taxes thereon, unless oth_erw?e stated in the receipt. This section shall not ap_.p~.y ~9 any receipts-.!ssued on or before December 31st,1933.' · 'A'his blllw as presented by Delegate McNurran without.any consultation so far as I know, wroth any~0fficials from the Oity of Portsmouth. As th~s bill was enacted by the General Assembly, I am instructing the Oity Oollector to see that the provisions ef the bill are made known and understood by all the employees of his office and are strictly adhered to." ' Notion of Mr. Brooks to refer to Oity Attorney to correlate this Act of the Leg- islature with cur prepayment tax ordinance, was adopted; ~th- ,At the meeting of the ~ouncil on August 22nd, a resolution was adopted, to the effect tha~ you were opposed to the passage of the bill presented in the General As- sembly of Virginia By Delegate R. Y. McMu~ran, permitting cities to waive the collection of penalties and interest as new fixed by law upon delinquent taxes for a period of years. Oepy of this resoldtion was mailed to th~ Delegates from Portsmouth. However, the bill was enacted Dy the 'General Assembly of Virginia, authorizing the councils or other governing bodies ef cities and towns to release all persons, firms, associations ~nd corporations from all liabi- lity far interest, penalties and accrued costs on any taxes due such cities and towns for any year or years prior to and including the year 1932, that are unpaid at the time the ordinance relieving same goes into effect, provided such unpaid taxes are paid such cities and towns within one hundred and twenty days after the date this act shall be in force. In view of the passage of ~his bill by the General Assembly of Virginia, I consider it important that you decide promptly whether Portsmouth will avail itself of the provisions of this law or not° ~nless this is done, i am of the opinion that the collection of taxes will be materially retarded. I recommend that we do not avail ourselves of the pro- visions of this Act." Notion ef ~v· ~ox to ccncu~ in .the Manager's recommendation was adopted. - UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The-follewing communications from the Oity Attorney were read: ,At your last meetLug you referred to me a letter from Antonio Facenda,- complain- ing of certain personal property assessments. According to the records of the Oity Oollector's office, personal property tax for 1928 a. ssessed against A. Faoenda, 609 Fourth Street, con- sisting of an assessment of $210.00 cn household fu~nit-,~re and $100.00 on am automobile, is u~- paid. Another Ac Facenda of 221 Henry Street was assessed for $80.00 for household furniture. I do not see how there can be any mistake in the tickets,as Claimed l~y Mr. Facenda iu his let- ter. The Oommissioner of Revenue stated to me that the only error that might be in the assess- ment is the $100.00 for the automobile. I have no way of checking at this time, whether Mr. Facenda owned an automobile in 192~. As to the 1932 assessment, I examined the original returm in the office of the Oommissioner of Revenue which show an assessment against Mr. Facenda of $125J00 at his resi- dence, 609 Fourth Street, $~100.00 being on household and kitchen furniture and $25~00 for a radio and an assessment of $200,00 on his barber shop fixtures at 600 Oourt Street· As the Oouncil has no jurisdiction over the assessment, there is nothing that can be done in this matter." On motion ordered filed. "At your last meeting you referred to me a communication ~om Flossie 0verton, requesting a reward for causing the arrest of A T. Silvester. The police record shows that this man was arrested and tried on a charge of disorderly conduct and drunkenness and was fined Ten($10.O0) Dollars· Flossie 0verton tells me that she reported him to the police, af- ter seeing him tamper with a fire alarm bcx, and that the police came ~u and arrested him. She also stated that she testified te this fact before the Police Justice, but the man was ar- rested on a charge of disorderly conduct and evidently the Police Justice did not consider him guilty of turning in a false alarm. The punishment for turning ina false alarm is from $50.00 te $100.OO and confinemen~ in jail from fifteen to thirty days. The resolution of the Oity Oounciloffering a reward in such cases requires the arrest and conviction. As the party was not convicted under the city ordinance for turning in a false alarm, there is no claim to the reward." On motion ordered filed. read: The following ordinance placed on its first reading August 22nd, was taken up and