07-23-34 Council Meeting Minutes

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(Continued from page 251) iI January 1, 1932, resulting in a proximate reduction of 10 per cent. Under this statute the salary of first class policemen and firemen fixed by the ordinance of the Common Council at $2040.00 became $1915.56. This reduction was to apply for the year 1933, effective as of January 1, 1933. ' In September, 1932, the City'Council passed Ordinance No. 2996, appropriating money for the expenditures of the city government for the year 1933, which appropriation ordinance included salaries for policemen and firemen upon the basis prescribed by the state legislature.. The annual salaries of the policemen and-firemen were $1915.56 from January 1 1933, until June 1, 1933, but lunar they were not paid this amount. They were paid only 4152.95 per month, instead of $159.63. Each p0licemanniand fireman, therefore, has a valid claim against the city for $33.25• In June, 1933, the Council passed Ordinance No. 3022 establishing salaries for the balance of the year 1933, said salaries for policemen and firemen being $1500.00 first class end $1260.00 second class. This'ordinance was effective only during the last seven months of 1933. Appropriations for 1934 as established by Ordinance No. 3030 were for the salaries as established by the last mentioned ordinance in Juhe, 1933. In April, 1934, an ordinance was passed, fixing salaries for certain officers of said city but not including policemen and firemen of general employees of the city. Inasmuch as Ordinance No. 3022 passed in June, 1933, was effective only for the remaining seven months of that year and no ordinance has since been adopted by this Oouncil fixing the salaries of policdmen and firemen, there is no ordinance new in effect by which said salaries are determined. On May 17, 1933, the honorable mayor of this city addressed a mommunication to his "Fellow Officers and employees" advising them that certain reductions in salaries and economies in administration of the municipal government would be necessary. On may 25th a further communi- cation was directed by him to the public officers and employees of the city setting forth that it would be necessary to make the reductions suggested in the previous communication and asking for cooperation and assistance on the part of all officers and employees in working out the financial problem of the city. The mayor referred to the balance in the city treasury, delinquent taxes, muntdpal funds frozen in closed financial institutions of this city and to lowered costs of living. We quote from that letter: "Furthermore, it is my play to appeal to'the delinquent taxpayers to make partial payments of theerktaxes, or, if possible, to pe.y "their entire tax bill so that the city's affairs can be returned to a normal basis, and I assure you that all of the sacrifices requested will be eliminated as rppidly as funds are available to do so. "To assure the policemen and firemen a salary in keeping *ith the changed financial conditions, I ,am requesting the Common Council to provide in the budget an ordinance for a°readjustmant of your salaries each six month periodin accordance with the index figure established by the President for federal employees. Thus a rise in living costs will immediately be met with a 'rise in* your salaries and there will* be no need of fear that it will be necessary to fight to maintain your salaries in keeping with the cost of living. "Let us meet the changed conditions as true citizens, and I assure you that as soon as the financial condition of the city is improved., be that one month or the full seven months, you will keep step with the community's returned prosperity." It was in accordance with this announced plan of financial retrenchment by the city that the ordinance fixing said seleries at $1500.00 and $1260.00 was enacted for the valance of 193, Further evidence of the mayor's intention to make a,readjudtment of said salaries a.s soon a! the finances of the city permitted was contained in a communication addressed to the Board of Public Safety under date of May 23, 1933, in these words: "If funds are realized -from banks, or deposits can be made negotiable, or sddittban &l tax monies should be paid, or funds derived from miscellaneous revenue should beduce the amount of the deficit, the period of time to which the men will 'be called upon to make additional sacrifice from the readjusted salaries shall be reduced in whatever proportion such revenues will'. permit." Let us s ee if the mayor has kept faith with the policemen and firemen of this city in the statements thus made. ° The Board of Public Safety in its recent communicetion under date of July 14, 1934, addressi to the mayor of this city says in part: "It is our information that the difficulties quoted from the above statement (referring to release of funds from banks and additional tax monies permitting readjustment of salaries) have been surmounted. The employees of this department, however, are still making the 'sacrifice from the readjusted salaries' ". Under date of July 16, 1934, the mayor replied to this communicetion to the Board of Safety and from this communication we quote the following: "Our city met a greater financial strain than any other city of its size in the country. "Of the ninety -four cities over one hundred thousand listed by the United States.Census Bureau, there were only twenty -nine who balanced their budgets during the depression, and South Bend is one of the twenty -nine. "There were thirteen hundred and nine municipalities that defaulted on their bonds or interest. South Bend has paid its bonds and interest when due. "Some of the largest cities in the country have resorted to scrip or Payless paydays. South Bend has paid ell m laries and wages regularly. "Thousendsof municipalities have issued tax anticipation warrants. South Bend has not resorted to this form of governmental financing at any time during the depreession. "Thousands of cities have increaded their bonded indebtedness. South Bend has decreased In view of the splendid financial record claimed by the mayor, and his economic adviser, present conditions warrant a readjustment of the salaries of policemen and firemen of this cit: who have continued to make sacrifices, not during it period of from one to'seven months, as indicated by the mayor, but for a period of more than a year. If it was the purpose of the mayor to request the Common Co#cil to provide for the readjustment of these salaries each six months period, in accordance with the cost of living, and the city's return to prosperity, as indicated in his communication of May 25, 1933, wh9 has not the Council been requested so to do? Figures prepared by the National Industrial Conference Board a-ndpublished in the monthly business survey of the United Stites Department of Commerce show that the average cost of living throughtbut the United States has increased substantially since January 1, 1933. The figures are as follows: January, 1933 73 -.7 April, 1933 71;5 July, °1933 75.2 October, 4 1 33 79 March, 19 75.5 June, 193 78.8 These statistics whow that the salaries of policemen and firemen of this city have not kept pace with the ever increasing cost of living, as was promised by Mayor Hinkle. (Continued on page 253) 0 • • ` its. "• •