|
November 8, 1~21.
<br />
<br /> ~Gentlemen:-
<br /> I beg to submit the following report ef the conference of 0ity Offcials
<br />held in the City of Richmond on October 3rd, 1921, at the call of the Honorable Gecrge~ Ainslie,
<br />Mayor of the City of Richmond. A committee appointed by the Council consisting of the City
<br />Auditor and myself were present at this conference.
<br />
<br /> The Mayor of Richmond presented very forcibly the necessity of tax segre-
<br />gation and tax equalization as matter of protection to the cities. He shewed definite figures
<br />that the Cities of Virginia were paying an undue share of the State's expenses, while ninety
<br />counties were not self-supporting. This inequality in taxes is lamgely dee to inequality
<br />l~ assessment, the assessment in counties being very low while that in cities is extra high.
<br /> In order to remedy this it is proposed that certain definite sources cf
<br />tax shall be~ assigned to. cities and certain to the State. If for example, the City of Ports-
<br />mouth has exclusive right to tax real property and tangible personal property, while all other
<br />souroes were assigned ~o the State, the City would be the gainer by $87,000 annually.
<br /> To further study the matter, the Mayer of Richmond appointed a committee,
<br /> consisting of himself as chairman, the City Manager of Norfolk, th~ Cit~ Manager of Portsmouth,
<br /> the City Nanager of Petersburg and Nr. Frank Talbott of Danville. This committee is to draft
<br /> and prepare a report with recommendations on the subject. It was alee thought best to employ
<br /> a specialist to present the situation ~roperly to the legislature. The cost of this special-
<br /> i'st will not exceed $3,000 and the shmre of the City of Portsmouth, even if no o~her cities
<br /> go in, will be between four and five hundred dollars. For this reason I have recommended
<br /> an appropriation of $5OO~ to cover this.
<br />
<br /> "Yours very truly,
<br />
<br /> "J. P. Jersey, City Manager."
<br />
<br />On motion, the repor~ was ordered to ~e filed.
<br />
<br />5th.
<br />
<br />"Honorable City Council,
<br />Portsmouth, Va.
<br />
<br /> Gentlemen':
<br /> I am of the opinion that Section 6 of' our License
<br />special tax on non-resident architects, etc., is unconstitutional~
<br />
<br />Tax Or di~ance
<br />
<br />imposing
<br />
<br /> The City Attorney concurs with me in this belief and it is recommended
<br />thmt this sectio~ be m~dified by inserting the words 'or non-resident" after the word resident
<br />in the first line and striking out the whole of paragraph $2.
<br />
<br />~Yours very truly,
<br />
<br />"J~ Po Jervey, City Manage~."
<br />
<br /> On motion of N~. White, the mmtter was referred to the City Attorney to recommend to
<br />the Council the striking out of all such sections in the License Tax Ordinance which may be
<br />unconstitutional.
<br />
<br />6th.
<br />
<br />"HonD~able City Council,
<br /> Portsmouth, Va.
<br />
<br /> "Gentlemen:--
<br /> I~b~g to state that I have carefully investigated the question of con-
<br />structing paved streets so as to reeJ~h all fire hycLvants in the City and the matter of putting
<br />plat-forms at each hyde. ant.
<br />
<br /> The Chief uf the Fire Department feels that the pl~y-~orms woul~ be of
<br />little use en an unpaved stree,$,~e'spe~ ally in muddy w$~ther as it~weuldnot b~ possible for
<br />a fire t~ack ~o get out of r~t~ to the top of a plat-f6rm. If they were built, we could make
<br />them of cinders or ~avel, ~n~oase, howe%er, all streets leading ts hydrants are paved, ~he
<br />plat-forms will be unnecessary as the paving of the street woul~ take their places.
<br />
<br /> The enclosed map shows present paved streets in brown, s~ree'ts paved ~ith
<br />shell or gravel in red mhd proposed driveways in yellow. The proposed driveways are ~ feet
<br />wide and will cost $66,000. They will have the advmntage of giving access in all conditions
<br />of weather to mll hyclrants and will also improve general traffic conditions in the City.
<br />
<br /> On account of our. having allotted all appropriated money to mpprcved
<br />nrojecte for this year, it will not be possible to tmke
<br />~ will, however, have special attention given to streets
<br />in the immediate vicini~ty of hydrants. By this means it is thought that the streems can be
<br />kept passable al'l the year.
<br /> "Yours very truly,
<br />
<br /> "J. P. Jervey, City Manager."
<br />
<br /> On motion, the communication was referred to the Finance Committee..
<br />
<br /> ~th. Notice that the following &dditienal~appropriatione will be needed ~or the rest
<br />~f the Year: Ninth Wmrd, Night Boil, $2,000.OO; Health, Night Soil, $3,000.00; City Dr~gs,
<br />$5oo. oo.
<br /> On motion, the ~ommunication was referred ~o the Finance Ce~ittes.
<br />
<br />
<br />
|