HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-01-33 Council Special Meeting MinutesJune let, 1933. SPECIAL MEETING.
MINUTES.
Be it Remembered that the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana,$ m@t in
Special Session in the Council Chambers in the City Hall, X Thursday June let, 1933 at the
hour of 7 :55 o'clock P. M. All Members - present except Councilman Oakley* President Nelson
presided.
STATE OF INDIANA
COUNTY OF ST. JOSEPH SS:
CITY OF SOUTH BEND
CALL FOR SPECIAL `MEETING_ „'
OF THE COMMON COUNCIL.
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF.THE CITY OF SOUTH.BEND, INDIANA.
You are hereby notified that under and by virtue of the authority by law vested in me as Mayor
of the City of South Bend, of the State of Indiana, a special-meeting of the Common Council of kad
said city is hereby called at the hour of 7 :30 0olock P.' M., or as soon thereaf tev.as convenie t,
on Thursday, June 1, 1933, for the purpose of receiving reports and recommendations from the Ma oar
the Committee of the Whole, the Ways and Means Committee of the Council: and/ or the individual
members of the Common Council, all .relating to the reduction.of expenditures for the purpose o
balancing.the municipal budget and to take such action thereon as will be proper and lawful.
Dated this let day of June, 1933•
JI (Corporate Seal)
COUNTERSIGNED:
Gladvs M. Monroe
City Clerk of the City of South Bend,
Indiana.
W* Ro Hinkle
Mayor of the City of South Bend,
Indiana.`
The within call came to hand this let day of June,. 1933, which I served by reading the same
to each counoilman upon the date designated, as follows:
I. W. I Cripe on June let, 1933.•
and by leaving a certified copy thereof at the last and usual place of residenxace of such
members as I was unable to find, as follows:
John C. Nelson on June lst,T19330'
Grover D. Whiteman ” N «
Andrew W. Rokop N a
George W. Goetz a p a H
Earl S. Gustin
Stephen 0. Grzeskowiak
Glen L. Oakley
John C. Hiss
Joseph S. Jaworski a N
George F.. Hull
The S- Report of the Call
Harry Everett
Member of the South Bend Police Department.
was accepted by the 'Council*
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COMMUNICATION.
William R. Hinkle
. Mayor
Honorable Common Council,
City of South Ben4 Indiana.
City-of South Bend Indiana
Office of the Mayor
May 31, 1933•
# moo@
Gentlmena:
I hereby announce to you that I have removed the following City officers from their respective
offices, to -wit;
Geo. A.' Knoblock, city controller
Walter L. Clements, City *Attorney
.Herschel G. dray, City engineer
Wm,. H. Trost, Jr., and
Valentine J. Gadacs, members of Board of Public Safety
M. Edward Doran, member of Board of Public Works
'@ •
In. conformance with the law I herewith transmit to you my reasons for such removal.'
The announced policy x of the city administration is efficiency, economy and the limitation of
expenditures of the municipal goverbnment to the limits of our income without resort to borrow ng
For several weeks'past, action has been taken to place this program in effect and it has met w th a
lack of cooperation sometimes passive and many times in the form of active oppositftn. I can
understand their reasons for this:` All of the men mentioned above were appointed under differ nt
conditions than exist today. Their thought in connection with municipal finance represents:th
old order and the administration's grogram represents the new. To assure its succesful adopt on
it will be necessary for me to have the utmost sympathy and cooperation of my department heads
and co— workers.
I am appointing a group of men to these positions who will give me the.necessary cooperation. My
eatinet will be composed of the following named men: E. J. McErlain, city controller; Iden S.
Romig, city attorney; W:' S. Moore, city engineer; C Ralph Budd, L• A. Walker and Dick Johnson,
members of Board -of Public Safety, Ge A , ph H. Kuss and J. E. Nieff, members of
Board of Public Works. `
Very truly yours, W. R. Hinkle, MAYOR.`
On Motion of Councilman Grzeskowiak the Communicatif was Tabled. Motion carried.
MAYORIS,REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMON COUNCIL: June 1, 1933• {
Gentlemen#:
The members of the Ways and Means Committee have received detailed figures to be used as a
basis for reducing municipal expenditure%, *to meet expected income for the remaining seven
( See page 195
C7
( Concluded )
of 1933. In accordance with the suggestion at the last.Cabinet meeting that the Mayor place
in effect all economies other than those relating to the Common Council and individual
elective offices, I have the following report and recommendations to offer. t
All statutory sallies under my jurisdiction have this s date been reduced to the minimum pm
provided for -under HB 529. In establishing the salariesnfor the Board of- Public Works and
the Board of Public Safety, I:-have used the minimum provided for members of the Common Counci]
in HB529. The salaries and wages in all other departments of the city over which I exercise
administrikative control have been established on the basis provided for in the suggested
program to the Ways and Means Committee. In general these are as follows:
Secretaries, deputy clerks, clerks, bookkeepers, telephone operators and cashiers, from $60 to
$100 per month, in accordance with the importance of their duties and off ice.
Superintendents and genral- foreman, from $135. to $150 per month.
Foreman and assistant foreman from $100 to $135. per month:'
Laborers 35 0 to 500 per hour according to the importance and nature of their work, However,
minimum salaries.have been established where staggered °work programs are in effect at 645.per
month for man and wife with at least $50' a month additional' for each chil -d up to fissve.'
Trucks wnthout drivers .57k an hour; trucks with drivers 0-95 16 an hour. Other positions not
quoted are in,proportion to the ones set out above. These salaries are effective this date im
all departments including the street and water departments.' A definite and detailed schedule
will be worked out at the next Cabinet meeting.
( Naturally street department savings cb not help to balance the general fund, but will be used
for the purpose of establishing the minimum salaries and to provide for additional employees.')
The consolidations of departments and-offices will be completedx within a short time.'__ I have,
or will issue executive orders placing in effect the program as outlined in this report and
with slight changes the detailed report given to the members of the mays and Means Committee.'
For the purpose of balancing the budget it will be necessary for the Common Council to take
proper action regarding their own salaries and the salaries-of policeman and firemen, and by
resolution to the other elective officers, namely the city judge, city clerk and city
treasurers to influence their action regarding -reductions.-_
Regarding the policemen and firemen, I have requested their salaries; be established on-the
1919 salary scale. This, however; contemplates the purchase of a radio to increase the
efficiency of the department and to release the reserve force now held at the station, to
motorize as many foot patrolment as possible, thereby enablUking the police dep rtment to
increase the sire of their respective beats and reduce the working g hours of po icemen to
eight g W hours as soon as possible. My recommendations to the new members of the-Board of
Safety are that they shall, as soon as possible, appoint an expert police training officer
to the proper position fo r the purpose of training our policemen so that they may eff *iciently
cope with the. modern type of bandit and desparado. Relative to the firemen, when the`1919
salary schedule was in effect the firemen worked under the single platoon system, whereas to-da;r',
through the double platoon system, they are relieved of a large share of the duties and
services formerly rendered under the old single platoon system.'
s
As a matter of comparison the policemen and firemen of this city under the 1919 schedule will
not be called upon to make any sacrifice in the standard of living as this schedule, due to
decrease in living costs, will permit approximately the same purchases as their former salaries,
would in 1929# rurthermorem,in comparison with the salaries and wages to be paid in other
departments of thetc.-ity and in private enterprise, the suggested salary scale of 1919 gives
the policemen and firemen their fair proportion of the x available public funds.
Themnewspapers have carried articles mentioning there was sympathy among the Common Council
members for the issuance of anticipation tax warrants, or tax delinquency warrantse Adide
from the injustice to the delinquent, taxpayers and other taxpayers of the city of South Bend,
it is a direct injustixoe to the men themselves. Tax delinquency warrants are discmaountable
on their face at least 8 %.' The record in other cities show that where tax anticipation warrant
have been used in the payment of salaries that the merchants, due to the uncertainty as to the
time when they will receive their money, have 'been forced to charge higher prices fcr their.
products so that in accepting the warrants they would bex immediately negotiable thereby helpinE
the merchant to maintain his capital in a liquid state. If these warrants are issued and
discounted at 9$ and counting the necessary rise in prices, they will jeopardize the properties)
of the poor taxpayers and in addition the policemen and firemen will receive not more and maynyl
times less money than would be provided under the 1919 salary scale.
If the budget is balanced and the proper salary scale established all policemen and firemen
will be paid in casht and I assure you if more money becomes available it will be my pleasure
to come before the Common Council and inform you that not only is the ityfs budget,balaneed
but surplus has accumulated which should be distributed: to policemen, f,irement and all other
city employees in the proportion that their earnings bear to the total.'
I suggest again, as a further assurance to the policemen and firemen and other city employees,
that you include in your salary ordinance.a clause providing for the automatic fluctuation of
their salaries in accordance with the index figures used by the President- in establishing a
similar method of handling federal employees salaries.
In clnosing, I recommend that all matters over which you exercise legislative control be adjus0id,
in such manner as -will assure the balancing of the municipal budget without recourse to borrow -
ing. The I City of South Bend to date has weathered the economic storm and maintained its
expenditures inside its income, a continuance of this policy will be cooperated in by the I`
administrative branch of thi Municipal Government to the fullest extent.
On Motion of Councilman
Motion carried.
On Motion of Councilman
ATTEST
I��3
W. R. Hinkle, MAYOR.
Altfeld the Mayor's Report was referred to the Committee of the Whole #',
Rokop the Council adjourned at 9 :10 o'clock P.' M Motion carried.'
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