07-23-34 Council Meeting Minutes

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( Continued from page 252) If it was the purpose of the mayor to effect the readjustment of salaries of policemen and firemen in eccordinancw tith the improved financial condition of the municipal government, let us'determine whether such proportidnate adjustment has been made. Under date of May 25, 1933, at which time the mayor addressed his plel for cooperation to his feklow workers, he stated that there was a- balance of $78,000.00 in the treasury. Today there is a balance of $95,000,00 in the treasury, including restricted deposits. At that time he referred to the delinquent taxes and the difficulty in collection of taxes with which to finance the administration of the various departments of the city government, The tax collection of the City ofSouth Bend as of June, 30, 1933, was $314,832.81. The tax collection as of December 31, 1933 was $339,387.89• The tax col-'- .ection as of June 30, 1934, was 4381,539.94, an increase of $67,000.00 in the yea: The mayor also assigned as one of the reasons for the drastic salary reductions the fact that the city funds in large amounts were tied up in closed banks. The amount of general fund deposits frozen in closed financial institutions'as of May 25, 1933, was $121,043.10. . The amountof the city's general fund frozen in closed financial institutions today is $75,474.62, and there is an immediate prospect of the release very shortly of approximately half of that amount from closed -banks whose reorganization plans have already been approved by proper authorities. The figures show a release of $46,000.00 iii the past year. Qonsideration of these figures relating to the increased costa of living, and to the improved financial conditions of the city d.emonstrates conclusively that this administration hag not kept fjith 'With the loyal and devoted members of the police end fire departments who -protect the .lives ?ndp property of our citizens. An investigation of the financial retrenchment made by other municipalities and by _other governmental units discloses that salary cuts effected during the years 1932 and 1933 have been restored either in whole or in part. Notable examples of cities which have restored all salary cuts to public officials since January 1, 1934, are: Cincinnati, Ohio, L*nn and Springfield, Massachusetts, New Haven, Connecticut, Nashville, Tennessee, and Detroit, Michigan. The members of this body will recognize readily the fact that the Committee for the Nation reported that the cities of Detroit and South Bend were more severely affected by the depression than any other cities in the United States. If the municipal.city of Detroit was able to restore salary cuts to its officers and employee( and if the city of South Bend has maintained such splendid financial condition among the ninety — four cities over one hundred thousand populations as claimed by the Mayor, why has not an entire or partial restoration of the salaries of our public officers and employees been made? The drastic reduction in salaries requested by the mayor in his letters of May 17 and 25, 193; was to have been for a period of approximately seven months. The unreasonable extension of thesE cuts and the lack of goodfaith on the part of the administration to make proper and reasonable restoration, as improved conditions have warranted, has undoubtedly affected the morale of the policemen and firemen of this city. It is not treason or unfairness on the part of a member of the Board of Public Safety or any citizen of this city to make this statement, notwithstanding tY opinion of Mayor Hinkle, who says that the policemen are done an injustice by such a statement. The policemen and firemen as public officials and protectors of human life and property are to be complimented for their loyal service and their fine spirit of cooperation during the trying period through which we have passed. It is no reflection upon them to say that their morale hG -,s been lowered and weakened by reason of inadequate compensation for their service. It is only natural that the spirit and enthusiasm of any perios is effected by the existence of conditions which are not fair or reasonable. In its letter of July 14, 1934, addressed to the mayor, the Board of Public Safety has this to say: "The morale of this department is low due to causes over which this board has no control. If you will consider some 100 human targets working for the magnificent sui$ of $125.00 a month, you-may possibly un erste.nd what we mean. There is not a community in this vicinity that does not pay its police officers a more decent salary." Unquestionably, gentlemtr, of the Common Council, the members of the police and fire departments of this city are underpaid, and I state flatly that public opinion is in favor of a,dgquate dompensation of these men. It is my understanding that this body has been advised that it does not have authority tD fix salaries for these officers. Section 11477 of Baldwin's Indiana Statutes, 1934, which is Section 10862 of Burns Annotated Statutes, 1996, provides in part as follows: "The annual pay of all policemen, fire -men andother appointees, shall be fixed by ordinance of the Common Council; andit shall be lawful in such ordinance to grade the members of such forces and to regulate their pay, not only by ranks but by their length of service. In default of any ordinance fixing the compensation of any member of such fire or police force, such commissioner shall have the power to fix the same, subject to change by ordinance." By virtue of this statute, which has been teither repealed nor amended, this body has the primary power and authority to fix these salaries. - Thus far in 1934 no ordinance fixing the sa7$ies of policemen end firemen has been enacted. If it were not for the fact that the Board of Public Safety approves the payroll each month for the payment of the salaries to said policemen and firemen, the action of the city controller in making any payments would be illegal. The fact that 6his 6ouncil passed an ordinance for appropriations for this year including certain salaries for policemen and firemen does not amount to a fixation and determination of salaries. It is our understanding further that the executive branch of this municpal government contends that the mayor and the controller have full authority in the matter of budgets and appropriations therefor, subject only to,the right of this Council to reduce any appropriations it may fee fit. Such authority as was given to the mayor and the controller by Chapter 60 of the ,Acts of the General Assembly of the Stt to of Indiana for 1933 does not in any way affect the authority of this Boyd to fix and determine salaries as it is authorized to d9 by virtue of existing statutory (provisions. It is not only the right but the duty of thic Uouncil to fix the salaries for the policemen and firemen so th:tothe mayor and controller in the preparation of their figures for the appropriations for 1935 may include such salaries as shall be determined. Any hesitancy that this body may have to enact such a salary ordinance may be offset by the (assurance of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Fire Fighters Union, Local No. 362, that all Inecessary and proper steps will be taken by their respective organizations to insure compliannen with any ordinance enacted by this Council affecting said salaries. At the present time, in the event of no undeasonable extravagance, a. check of the city's finances will show, a. surplus for this year 1934 in exdess of $50 000.00. For the remaining five months of this year it would cost the city approxim -tely $14,905.90 to givd the policemen anc firemen from the chiefs down a. ten percent restoration of salary. It this time such a temporary readjustment should be made, and now also the general salary ill for police and fire departments of 1935 should oe passed, restoring their salaries tothe basis set for them by the state legislature. That would still mean substantially lower salaries than they received in normal times, but wkould be a just and reasonable compensation, (continued on page 254)