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January 6, 1931
<br />
<br />At a speciai meeting of the City Council
<br />
<br /> ~sssre-e
<br />
<br />January 6th there were present:
<br />
<br />Vernon A. Brooks, W. R, Hutchins, E, W. Maupin, Jr.,
<br />A~thur Mayo, J. Alden Oast, A~chibald Ogg,
<br />J, R. Stewart, ?.
<br />Also the City Manager.
<br />
<br /> The following directions were
<br />
<br /> City Clerk,
<br />~Portsm0uth, Va.
<br />
<br />re~d for the special meeting:
<br />
<br /> "Portsmouth, Va., January 2, 1931.
<br />
<br />Dear Sir:--
<br />
<br />Tuesday,
<br /> lst~
<br /> 2nd.
<br />
<br /> You will please call a special meeting of the City Council,
<br />January 6th, at 8 o'clock p.m., to consider:
<br />
<br /> The Budget for 193I.
<br />
<br /> Any other business that may properly come before the body.
<br />
<br /> · Very truly yours~
<br />
<br />in the Council Chamber,
<br />
<br /> ~ernon A. Brooks, President..
<br /> The "call" having been read, the President stated that the Superintendent of the Schools
<br />~nd members of the School Board had been invited to attend this meeting of the Council to
<br />discuss the 1931 School Budget. He.noticed that the Superintendent of School and members
<br />atof 'the this School time. Board were present, and stated that the Council would take up the School Budget
<br /> In this connection, the following letter was read from Mr. T. W. Mathews:
<br />
<br />Hon. Vernon A. Brook~,
<br />Mayor, Oity of Portsmouth,
<br />Portsmouth,
<br />
<br />"Norfolk,
<br />
<br />Va., January 5, 1931.
<br />
<br />My des~v ~M. ~ayor:- . -
<br />
<br /> It is a matter Of great regret to me that my duties as Treasurer for
<br /> the fReceivers of the Seaboard prevent me from being present at the meeting of the City Council
<br /> on Tuesday night, Ja,uu~ry 6, at which time the Council will take up the question of the appro-
<br />priation for the ~i
<br /> ~ ty s~hools in Portsmouth for 1931. ·
<br />
<br /> If it is your pleasure, I will he obliged if you will h~ve the Clerk
<br />read this letter to the Council, stating myvi~ws with reference to this matter.
<br />
<br /> As Chairman of the Finance Oommittee of the School Bo~d, I have ~yzed
<br />t~e school buret for 1~3i very c~e~lly. We ~e aski~ for p=actic~ly ~he a~e ~o~t
<br />of money ~ was ~propriated roue'for 1~29 ~d To~ 193G~ I do not blieve t~at the City of
<br />Po~o~h c~ afford to ~ this bu~e~ ~ a t~ayer, I wo~d ce~t~y not WiSh to have
<br />the budget cut. If PortsmOuth expects to go ~ead ~dto have people cf education ~d me~
<br />to live .~its co~es, ~t certai~y must maintain its schools at a proper st~da=dj ~
<br />
<br /> S~h things~ as Oo~erci~ Science, ~t ~d ~usi.c were taught in the
<br />schoels~Whlch I atte~ed t~rty five ye~s ~o ~d, in ad, rich, at t~t~t~e those schools
<br />~d eight years in the gr~ school. Statistics show that Port,curb scho~ls are conducted
<br />at ~ much lower cost th~ others for cities of the s~e size throughout th~ co,try. There-
<br />fo=e, I c~ot e~h~izs too ~tron~y, What I woul~ say in perso~ If I co~d be present,- thmt
<br />I do not think there a~e any mtems in the School ~dget which shoed be ~emoved therefro~
<br />
<br />Yours very truly,
<br />
<br />T. ~. ~athews.,
<br />
<br /> ~[r. Hunt, Super.intendent of Schools ~nd Mr. Briggs, President of the School Board, made
<br />statements in which they stated that the schools could not be efficiently operated with a
<br />decreased budget and asked the Council not to cripple the pu$1ic schools in this respect.
<br />
<br /> The following communicatiomz were read from the City Msmager:
<br />
<br /> lzt. "A short while ago, I re-
<br />oommendedto the Council that an appropriation of $5,000. be made for the Equalization Board,
<br />clerks, and other necessary expenses. With what light I had at that time, I was of the opinion
<br />that this amount would be sufficient.
<br />
<br /> Since r~ceiving the report of the Equalization Board after reviewin
<br />as if they have cuite a large ~ ~^-~ -~ -~ - ~ .... g the plates, it looks
<br />raisin~ th~.o ..... ,~-~-~:-' ~o' ~ '~. ~-~' ~ ~em~ A suggest, sna~ consideration be g~ven' to
<br />~e eh~ m~-~ ..... ~'P Am ls unaerstooa, as the f~rst let ~ ~-~ +~+ -~: -
<br /> ~ =~o ~ ~m~.~, aha snouAd the work be~ompleted
<br />e~lier, the balance would of course remain in the budget.~ Sinael. the law provides an Equaliza-
<br />tion Board, I feel that the Council should do all in its power to furnish the funds required
<br />to complete-the work, thereby carryin~ out the intent of the law.,
<br />
<br /> On motion, the communication was referred to the lqM1 Budget_
<br />
<br />
<br />
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