Minutes 07/14/1931 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

July l~th, !9~1. Gentlemen: The E~lization Board appointed by Judge Bain, ~o equalize the Real Estate in the City of Port~mouth, Va., has finished.their work. It ook the Board one hundred and seventeen days to complete the work. The first meeting that the Board held was a call meeting to organize. The next meeting was a call meeting to go before the Cottucil to come to some decision about the pay the Board would get and the time it would take. Dr. Brooks, President of the 0ouncil, asked Mr.~Alexander, the Chairman of the Board of E~Cualization. about how long it would take to do the work~ Mr. Alexander told the Council that the Bo&rd thought they could do it in One Hundred days, but the Board did not ~arantee to do the work in the one hundred days. The Council then agreed to pay each and every member of the Board Ten Dollars a day for their services. The Council then appropriated Five Thousand Dollars for the work. Then the Council appropriated Twenty five Hundred Dollars for the Clerical forces. Then Dr. Brooksasked Mr. Alexander this cuestion. Suppose it dont take one hundred days. Thong. Alexander said, After we have ~een.oaid for our services and then what is left from what the Board hsd on hand, it will be r~turned back to the~Council. ~en our first payme~t~was due, each member of the Bored had twelve days pay coming to him. ~. Brinson, City Auditor, only paid us for ten days and said that was all the money we would get for the first p~yment and hereafter we would only receive One Hundred Dollars on the 2nd and seventeenth of the month. The members of the Boam~l said all right if that is the way they are going to do, we c~nt help it. Some of the members of the~Board msked the City M~uager a~out two or three weeks before we had ~inished, how much money he had on hand that hs~i been appropriated by the Council to pay us with when we had finished with our work. The Board knew by that time that we dould not finish short of One Hundred and Seventeen Days. Er~ Hanrab~n c~ne in before theBo~rd and told us that he h~d on hand be- tween Three and Four Hundred Dollars to pay us on our last pa~ent as near as he could figure it. The Board said each and e~ery member had the ~ity mt hes~vt eJ~d we are going to finish this job that we have got. But when we had finished and went to get cu~ pay- ments, the City did not have any money to pay us with. Now gentlemen of the Honorable Council we hope you will see fit to pay us. H. L. Alexar~ler C.~ N. Moody Robt. A. Hutchins, T. B. Coker John T. Kevill Members of the Board of Equalization." On motion of ~. Brooks, same w~s referred to the City Manager. Bill of J. Shirley Hope, State G~me WS~den, for $195.00 for services in de- stroying ~8 tagless dogs at $2.50 ~ach. ' On motion of Mr. Brooks, the Treasurer was authorized to pay sa~e from funds inhand from collection of dog taxes. The following letter was read: Honorable Mayor and City Council, Portsmouth, Virginia. "Portsmouth, Va., July 14, l~31o Gentlemen: in Jtuue 1917 the building on.the northeast corner of 0rawford and Oo!umbia Streets was totally destroyedb~y fire. When taxes were paid in November 1917 no taxes were paid on the improvements on t~s property for that pa~t of the year a~ter the fire. These taxes amounting to $~7.50 are still shown as a lien on this oroperty s~lthough t~xes for each s~bseouent year have been paid. I was recently informe~ by the City Collector that taxes zor t~e year i~31 could not be paid on this property unless the balance due for the yea~ !91~ were fi~st paid. ~ I am asking that we be relieved of these taxes espeoial!y in view of the fact that ~e have been paying te~es on about twice the actual va ue · ~ ~ ~ . ~ . ~ 1 of tn~s pro~ert for the las~ ~zve years durang whmch time_the taxes amounted to approximately $4,500 00.y This is the third letter I have written on this subject and as neither of the previous letters has been ~swered I wo-oid appreciate a reply to this one. Very trGiy yours, Vincent L. Parker." Motion of Mr. Brooks that we stand by our former decision not to m~ke re- lief asked for, as matter is covered by State law, was ~dopted. Report of ~. P. Jordan andOompany on auditing Norfolk County ferries for May, l~31, was received and. ordered filed. On motion adjourned..