08-13-34 Council Meeting Minutes

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preparation of the budget. The actual clerical and stenographic work was not performer by the ,I Controller nor does the law demand that he do this type of work personally. I assume with the City Controller, full- respoansibility for the preparation of this budget and its submission to your body. For your convenience and in accordance with precedent the budget has been prepared in the form of an ordinance. In accordance with my past statements to the 06,gncil I have provided for a 100 increase in the salaries of 4.City employes for the year 1935without increasing the total budget or the tax rat Thee has been a reduction in assessed valuation of property of $4,257,720. below the assessed valuation of 1934. This reduction of assessment has been made'om the person property of firms, persons and corporations. The assessed valuation of the homes of our City has remained the same. I CONSIDERED IT MY'DUTY TO NOT SUBMIT A BUDGET TO THIS COUNCIL WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE TAX RAT 9OW BEING CHARGED THE HOME OWNERS OF SOUTH BEND. The total loss of income at'the rate of 54 on each $100. of valuation.is $22,991.79 This has been absorbed by savings and increased miscellaneous income. There has been some demand for increased pay for policemen and firemen above the amount provide in.the budget submitted herewith.` Some of the supporters of this increase base their plea it is not an increase but a restoration. Before any restoration is made to public employes the coedit that caused the reduction of their salaries must be cured. We must first restore the ability of the people to pay increased taxes. With a restoration of earning power then a plea for increase salaries-, above those provided in the 1935 budget, can be met and substantiated on the basis of the improved financial condition of the taxpayers. A review of the facts should proud helpful in convincing the Common Council and the citizens of South Bend that the pay of the V225 police and firemen of our City is just and fair when compare with the pay and average cost of- living of one of the peak years, such as 1927- In 1927 the the policement received $170. per month, the cost of living was 27 higher therm it is t &today . Deducting the 27% or 045.90 the balance is $1240'10 per month. The policement and firemen today are receiving $125. with the proposed increase in the 1935 budget they will receive $137.50 The majority of our citizens have suffered greater losses of income than t has been true with public employes. .Thousands of them have been without employment or income of any kind. Compare condition:of these taxpayers and citizens with the group of public employes who have enjoyed steady employment throughout the depression, with wages and salariem paid in proportion to the reduction in the cost of living,.' The decreased wages and income of our citftens and taxpayers with their lowered ability to pay rent, payments on land contracts, mortgages, etc.l has been: reflected in a decreas=e in our assess valuation of over $70,0001000. since 1929. With 14,000 of our citizens unemployed and approxima 2500 families on poor relief and a currents tax delinquency of 17�, it becomes the duty of every public employe to hold budgets and tax rates at as loaw a point as possible.` In 1922 when unemployment and poor relief were practically un4eard of, when the taxpayers: were meeting their tax payments on time, the assessed valuation of South Bend was $139,086,590. The total police salaries. were 0163,821.45 , the total firemenal salaries waa-$203,96.2.94 Today our assessed valuation is 0132,417.460. You. are already acquainted. with the figures: regar ing unemployment and poor reliefs in addition all taxpayers and cotizens have had reductions in wages and salaries but the 1935 budget submitted herewith provides for a total policemens' payr of $167,649.40 and a firemens' payroll of $2250290., in. other words, in spite of decareased earn bw:er, in ss'ppite of unemployment, the heavy cost of poor relief, the assessed: valuation being 7,000,000.00. I less than 1922 the taxpayers of this community, under the 1935 budget, are beinj called upon to pay more money for police and fire protection_ than they were when this community was enjoying almost the highest degree mf propsperity it had evermknown Consideration must also be given to the bettered working conditions placeSd_h in effect bfoisp`olncl9! during the last two years. The entire police force has been placed o a Police there were 32 men-working 9 hours ahea day and ofltrafficroff'iccrs theo entire upolice aforce has radio has been installed and with t P been motorized, instead of walking beats alone they now ride in pairs. Some of the demands for better police equipment are in the processor of beionditio a and andeshorte� hour$ shouldebecgivenf soon as funds are available. Thse better working c consideration when comparisions are made with the old salary scales. I roposed to the Council sometime msel and now propose essionsiattainmentsvwhich will better P encouraging policemen to perfect themselves in those p anable them to give good accounts of themselves t in- cortacts with and thus make them more effective guardians of the peace and safety of this among otb I am particularly interested in marksmanship as a means of accomplishing this purpose, lic opt a and therefore I suggest #hat if the m Council and the Board orpision forefiancingdthe projectf standards to be attained by policemen:in marksmanship, that p o can be made in the 1935 budget without additional burden on the taxpayers.` navy and mar What : -I have in mind is a marksmanship course similar to those employed in respectively each wont corps of the United States, at the.rate of ortexpests by completing the require for those who qualify themse or expert course of firing. I am ready to call upon the experts of out Culver ilitarseAifdthepCouncil err of a similar high standing, for conference on the mapping Boar& will take the necessary action* tendon that an ordinance is to be introduced in the`C�m�r►st.CoFu �slareknot f It has come to my at to be 100 increase in the wages of police and iTeetl ductionsfintexpen expenditures which make possible avallable_with which to'meet this increase* h 4 either because of an increase in 1935 cannot be made effective during the balance of 193 enditures in the first part of the year or commitments and contracts have been made that run e x p to the end of this year.. in the A few weeks ago when it was necessary to decrease the numb er of were bySmanytpDople mE because of a lack of funds, the Administration and this t would necessitate a reduction °:for the paymff. An immediate increase in police and firemens PaY her departments, I will not be a party to the layoff theoOOitYs ifeco tinued,pwillsexceed they in. of P the salaries of other employes. The present ayro240. you may be assured that before increases budget for payroll purposes by approximately , a roll deficit dust be meta We have 63 employes in the Street. Department and the : granted th is p ay roll of any decrease must necessarily fall upon to a men' ro osed immediate increase the Ot As further proof of the lack of money with which to meet any advance payment of taxes can be days before March 1, 1935 6yroll and interest on b 'may be forced to payless pay i4} 701.20 or a deficit o received before that time. The City controll with availabletcash of , r our inter for January and February will total�if2we•ho a to continue to pay our bills and Pad X21,551.20. This makes it necessary, p over part of their 1934 accounts into to arrange with local contractors and merchants to carry April and May of 1935• With the City's cash position in such a precarious condition it becomes native powers to prevent a layof unthinkable to even consider -.any increase in salaries for the nistalance of this year. I feel it my duty to inform you that M I will use full administrative to police and fires or reduction of toe gay.. of other, employes to meet proposed salary cee r,aap 257) U 143-i he d ely 11 ng nt 3 rs, )r a at s ing are Y nds • ;st .