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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/30/1939 Meeting 249~ .----~--~ ---~~~.~~~~-~~:=::::--~~----- --~---~-- ------,---..,-.------ - ._-~--~ ~ ---- ~--~ --....- --.--- ---~~-_.__.- --- Eugene, Oregon 1-, October 30, 1939 ('::> . NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING :; To. the Members of the Gammon C,ouncil of the City of Eugene: You ,ar.e hereby notified that a special meeting of the Gammon Council of the City of" Eugene will be held in the Council Chamber.s in the City Hall at 7:30 o'clock I P..M. of Monday, October 30, 1939, for the purpose of the consideration of and adoption of the annual city budget. /s/ Elisha Large Elisha Large, Mayor Council Ghambers, Eugene, Or'egon Oc.tober 30. 1939 The taxpayers' meeting was called to order by Mayor Large with an announcement that the purpose of this meeting was to receive comments and rec- ommendations from the taxpayers on the proposed budget for 1940. Golonel Tierney requested the status of the budget and Mayor Large stated that the budget to be acted upon was the same as had been advertised in the paper. Mr.. F. G.. Reese made a motion, seconded by Mr. H. A. White, that the following positions be reduced to the salaries as follows: I City Attorney, $1200.00; City Recorder, $2400.00; City Treasurer, $1800.00; City Engineer, $2400.00; Meat & Milk Inspector, $2400.00; Fire Chief, $2000.00; Police Chief,$2000.00; Street Supt~, $2000.0Q; Park Sup~., $1200.00; JanitoPr $1200.00; Comfort Station Caretaker, $480.00; Lien Dept. Clerk, $1800.00;. Dr. H~.. H. Peters addressed the taxpayers' me'eting stating he had noticed that high wages were being paid to city employees and it-was his feeling that as a result of the depression unemployment was still on the increase, property was being foreclosed and that there was generally much poverty and distress and it was his opinion that the salaries were too high. He also stated that he felt the budget should be adopted as submitted by Councilman Lamb. Mr.. H. A.. Vlhi te addressed the meeting opposing the high salaries and recommended Mr. Reesets scale as a fair average. Colonel Tierney addressed the taxpayers' meeting stating that inasmuch as the members of the Budget Committee Gnd the Common Council were the ones that I fere fully informed as to the city's needs, he recommended leaving the budget entir.el in their hands and that the advertised budget be accepted. In opposition to Colonel [ierney, Mr. Reese objected to the adoption of the current budget as advertised. C. C. Ball addressed the gathering pointing out that the small r.mount involved in the proposed cuts would probably not decrease anyone's taxes any more than seventy-five cents a year. I I At this time Matt Wilhelm addressed the taxpayers' meeting stating that ~e very definitely opposed holding such an important meeting in the Council Chambers and stated that he arrived shortly after seven o'clock and many of the seats were ~lready taken by people that probably were not taxpayers. He felt that the meeting bhould be held in the County Court room or some other room where people could be 'seated. Mayor Large stated that there is no room or building large enough4:to 1ccomOdate al.1 the taxpayers in the city. He also stated that everyone present _ ould have an opportunity to be heard. ' I Question was called for with regard to Mr. Reese's recommendation of . alary cuts. Upon taking a standing vote 16 votes were cast for the adoption of ~he proposed cuts and 24 votes were cast opposing the adoption of the proposed ~uts. The motion was not carried. I Mr. E. M. Williams addressed the group stating that the employees of the fity should be satisfied wit~a living wage and nothing more., At this time Dr. Peters made a motion that the budget as propooed by founcilIIlan Lamb be adopted. C. Madison Lanaker seconded the motion and the Recer-der kas requested to read in full the recommendations offered by Councilman Lamb. Upon ~ r-- 250 ! I. - - - - ! Itaking a standi~~ vote ~5- vot)'s. ~ere cast for theb~d~e~ as re~~~en~~d ~y Cou~~cilma- --- -- . .n Lamb and 25 votes were cast agaInst the budget as recommendea by Councilman Lamb. IThe motion was not carried. ~l:'-;:; I {c,;a Mrs. Lillie Broders addressed the group asking for lower city employees~ ,.~.; Iwages and lower taxes and Mr.. Thomas Campbell addressed the meeting asking for a ~eduction of the budget in order to reduce taxes. At this time there were many objections in allowing city employees to vote and many statements pointing out the legal right of the city employees to vote ~roviding that they are taxpayers. I Mr. Paul W. Campbell addressed the gathering stating that a person shouldn't I ~e hired on the basis of a bare living wage but rather that they should be hired. . commensurate to the value of their position and that he was very much opposed to ~alarY cuts. Matt Wilhelm again very definitely and without any question opposed he privilege granted the city employees to vote. Mrs. M. A. Ball addressed tne council stating that she is a taxpayer and has ~een for many years and that it was her understanding that the tax burden of the city Iwas largely the cause of the taxpayers actions themsel ves in the past in voting general bond improvements and also petitioning the Council for construction of ~treets and sidewalks and further that she did not think that it was just in any ~ense of the word to cut the salaries of the city employees in order to pay for ~hese things that the taxpayers themselves had voted for. At this time Mayor Large stated that the comments and recommendations had been heard and called the members of the council to order. C. M. Bryan City Recorder Council Chambers, Eugene, Oregon Bctober 30, 1939 I . , The council met in special meeting pursuant to the eall of Mayor Large vith~all councilmen present except Councilman Farrington, Mr. Far~ington being tbsent on ac~ount of illness. I Councilman Hanns made a motion that the 1940 budget be accepted as advertised nd Councilman Carlson seconded the motion. II An ordinance levying the annual tax levy for the Ci ty of Eugene for the riscal year of 1940 had its first reading and passed to its second and third readings by title under suspension of the rule by unanimous consent of the council and was blaced for final re~4ing. The ayes and nays were called, councilmen voting aye: ~amb, Reid, Bond, Carlson, Hanns, Page and Koppe; nay: none; absent: Farrington. rhe ordinance was declared passed and numbered 8624. I Councilman Hanns stated that the net operations of the city were much less fhan shown by the budget because of the cash balance forward each year. He further btated, on behalf of the members of the Council, that he would cordially invite all ~axpayers to attend council meetings throughout the year in order to become familiar rith the policies of the administration. In this way taxpayers could express their bpinions throughout the year instead of only at the taxpayers' meeting. Meeting adjourned. I C. M. Bryan City Recorder , .. ~