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December 13, 1927
<br />
<br /> At a regular meeting of the Oity council December 13th there were present:
<br />
<br /> Messrs--Vernon Brooks, J. O. Dunford, E. W. Naupln, Jr.,
<br /> Arthur Mayo, J. Alden 0asr, J. Ri Stewart,
<br /> L. G~. ~nite, ?.
<br /> Also the Oity Manager.
<br /> The minutes of the regular meeting November 22nd were read and were approved.
<br /> The Oommittee of the Whole of the Oouncil presented the /following ordinance:
<br /> An Ordinance for Imposing and Oollecting Taxes on Real. Estate, Tangible Personal Property,
<br />and Machinery l~ithin the Limits of the Oity of Portsmouth, Virgin_ia, form the Purpose of Raising
<br />Revenue for the Support of the Government' and the Public Free Schools, and to Pay Interest and
<br />Sinking Fund on the Public Debt, for the Year Beginning January let, 1928.
<br /> Mr. White suggested the tax rate for 1925 be made $2.6S, and moved that the ordinance be
<br />placed on first reading. The motion was adopted.
<br /> The Oommittee of the Whole of the Council also presented the following ordinance;
<br /> An Ordinance of the Budget Appropriations for the Oity of Portsmouth, Va., for the Year
<br />19~8.
<br /> On motion of Mr. Maupin, the. ordinance was.~placed on first rsadiug.
<br /> The reports of the City Treasurer, 0ity 0ollector, and City Auditor, which had been approved
<br />by the City Manager, were presented.
<br /> On motion, the reports were received and ordered to be filed.
<br />
<br /> The followl_ng communications were read from the City Manager:
<br /> "I would lik~ to have permission to negotiate a $600,000. sale of not to exceed twelve-
<br />month city notes ~t a rate ~f interes.t not to exceed.. 4 1/2~.:. Our.nee.ds, .in~ludin$_the money
<br />which is due at the local b-bus, on whzch we ~e pay~g 5 1/~, approximate aoout $~00,000. Ny
<br />impression is that this loan should be neg~tiated by .J.anuary let. You will note that this figure
<br />represents a considerable saving over the last at ~.~5~- I do not know if it will be possible
<br />~for me to do better, but inasmuch as they are not to exceed twelve months notes, ! con~ider
<br />this a very good offer and was afraid if I did not call it to your ~ttentlon at this meeting,
<br />so that some action could be taken, we might not b· able to get this figure at-a late= date,
<br />a~ no ~ne knows what the money market will be .after January. This is a definite offer which
<br />I can Close with interest payable at maturity.
<br />
<br /> N=. White moved that t. he City Manager be authorized to borrow $600,000.00 at a rate of
<br /> ~nterest not to exceed ~ 1/2% for current expense, s for 192~.
<br /> The motion was adopted.
<br />
<br /> In this connection, ~. White moved that the following ordinance be placed on first reading:
<br />
<br /> An Ordinance Authorizing the Borrowing of Six Hundred Thousand Dollars, in Anticipation
<br /> of the Revenue for the Year 192S, and Providing for the Issuance of a Note Therefor.
<br />
<br /> 2nd. "In acoor~-uce with the ordl ~nance which provides for the return of fees collected
<br /> for Highway work, please allocate $300.00 to a=count 5~B, O-~, "Material for Repair~s. to Side-
<br /> w-~lks.# There is now due the Highways accounts from ~eez collected the amount of $650.0y, but
<br /> o~ly $3G0.00 will be requ/re~ to complete the year, Kindly make this~appropriation available
<br /> at this meeting."
<br />
<br /> On motion of Dr. Dunford, a special appropriation of $650.0? was allowed for Repairs to
<br /> Sidewalks, Material, fee~ collected for Highway work; and by the following vote:
<br /> Ayes-- Brooks, ~ford, Maupin, Mayo, Oast~, Stewart, White, ?.
<br />
<br /> ]rd. #Attached is a letter from Mr. George Shafer, President of the Norfolk and Portsmouth
<br /> Belt Line Railroad Company, stating that i~ is the intention of the Belt Line in the near future
<br /> to erect safety g~tes on ~the George Washington Highway where it crosses the Belt Line.
<br />
<br /> As the-center of the Highway is the dlvidin~ line between the City of Portsmouth
<br /> and Norfolk. County the Railroad Oomp_~y is askir~g permission from the Council of the City of,
<br /> Portsmouth~and: the Board of Supervisors of Norfolk -Oounty to erect safety gates.
<br />
<br /> Personally, I feel that gates would be desirable at this point, as it is a very
<br /> dangerous crossing. #
<br />
<br /> Dr. Dunford moved to concur in the Manager' s recommendation, and that the Norfolk and
<br /> Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad Company be permitted to erect safe~y gates at the designated
<br /> point. The motion was adopted.
<br />
<br /> ~th. #Sometime ago, the Council referred to me the matter of pensions. I have gone into
<br /> it thoroughly and find thata good many cities have pensions similar to ours for the members
<br /> of the Police and Fire Departments, and few cities have made any provision for pension of other
<br /> city employees. ! am herewith submitting for your consideration a pension plan which is practl-
<br /> cally the same plan ~thich is in operation by 90,000 U.S. Government employees in Washington.
<br /> Seven copies of the proposition are attached, so that each member of the Council may have a copy
<br /> for s~=dy."
<br /> On motion of hLv. Maupin, the matter was laid on the table until the next regular meetln~
<br /> of Council.
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