Report of the city of Somerville 1897, Part 1

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Somerville, Mass.
Number of Pages: 870


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1897 > Part 1


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CITY OF SOMERVILLE


MASSACHUSETTS


ANNUAL REPORTS


1897


GIVES


DOM


SOMERVILLE


FREEL


FOUNDED 1842.


NAL


MUNICIPAL


ESTABLIS


IED


A CITY 1872. STRENGT


H


SOMERVILLE JOURNAL PRINT. 1898.


١


CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1897.


CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1897.


MAYOR. ALBION A. PERRY, 366 Broadway.


BOARD OF ALDERMEN.


WARD ONE.


L. HERBERT HUNTLEY


JOSIAH N. PRATT, President


1 Pearl street 33 Franklin street


WARD Two.


WILLIAM M. IRVING


GEORGE E. WHITAKER .


82 Summer street 19-A Greenville street


WARD THREE.


JAMES M. ANDREWS ANDREW A. LAMONT .


.


172 Broadway


43 Heath street


WARD FOUR.


WILLIAM H. BERRY .


JOHN N. BALL .


39 Cherry street


690 Broadway


CLERK.


GEORGE I. VINCENT.


Regular meetings, second, third and fourth Wednesday even- ings of each month.


6


ANNUAL REPORTS.


COMMON COUNCIL.


WARD ONE.


FRANK DEWITT LAPHAM, President


FRANK B. BURROWS


L. EDGAR TIMSON


ORICE M. GRACEY


3 Hathorn street 29 Mystic avenue . 41-A Franklin street 23 Webster street


WARD Two.


WILLIAM E. ROBINSON


ARTHUR D. OSBORNE


JOHN W. MACDONALD


JAMES W. KENNEY


32 Vinal avenue 10 Hillside park 3 Boston street 4 Concord avenue


WARD THREE.


ARTHUR W. BERRY


HOWARD LOWELL .


MARCUS M. RAYMOND


FRANCIS M. WILSON


53 Hudson street 46 Gilman street 37 Jaques street 103 Cross street


WARD FOUR.


FRED M. CARR


SILAS L. CUMMINGS


ALBERT L. REED


ISAAC M. STORY


74 Craigie street 251 Elm street 336 Beacon street 238 Summer street


CLERK. CHARLES S. ROBERTSON.


Regular meetings, Thursday evenings next following the second, third and fourth Wednesdays of each month.


7


CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1897.


JOINT STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE CITY COUNCIL.


ACCOUNTS. - Aldermen Huntley and Berry ; Councilmen Wil- son, Osborne, and Gracey.


CITY ENGINEERING. - Aldermen Berry and Lamont ; Council- men Berry, Timson, and Kenney.


CLAIMS. - His Honor the Mayor, Alderman Whitaker ; the President of the Common Council, Councilmen Wilson and Story.


ELECTRIC LINES. - Aldermen Andrews, Huntley, and Irving ; Councilmen Timson and Reed.


FINANCE. - His Honor the Mayor, Aldermen Whitaker and Huntley ; the President of the Common Council, Councilmen Carr, Lowell, Cummings, and Macdonald.


FIRE DEPARTMENT. - Aldermen Huntley and Lamont ; Coun- cilmen Reed, Burrows, and Kenney.


FUEL AND STREET LIGHTS. - Aldermen Irving and Pratt ; Councilmen Timson, Raymond, and Carr.


HIGHWAYS. - Aldermen Berry and Irving ; Councilmen Gracey, Macdonald, and Wilson.


LEGISLATIVE MATTERS. - His Honor the Mayor, Alderman Whitaker ; the President of the Common Council, Councilmen Ray- mond and Reed.


ORDINANCES. - Aldermen Pratt and Lamont; Councilmen Cummings, Lowell, and Kenney.


PRINTING .- Aldermen Andrews and Irving ; Councilmen Story, Timson, and Osborne.


PUBLIC GROUNDS. - Aldermen Ball and Whitaker ; Council- men Lowell, Reed, and Burrows.


PUBLIC PROPERTY. - Aldermen Pratt and Andrews ; Council- men Berry, Cummings, and Robinson.


SOLDIERS' RELIEF. - Aldermen Lamont and Ball ; Councilmen Burrows, Raymond, and Osborne.


WATER. - Aldermen Pratt and Andrews ; the President of the Common Council, Councilmen Carr and Robinson.


8


ANNUAL REPORTS.


STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN.


ELECTIONS AND RETURNS. - Aldermen Andrews, Irving, and Ball.


ENROLLED ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS .- Aldermen Hunt- ley, Berry, and Andrews.


LICENSES. - Aldermen Ball, Irving, and Huntley. .


POLICE. - His Honor the Mayor, Aldermen Andrews and Whitaker.


SEWERS. - Aldermen Lamont, Pratt, and Ball.


SPECIAL BUILDING PERMITS .- Aldermen Berry and Huntley.


STATE AID. - Aldermen Whitaker, Pratt, Lamont, and Berry.


STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE COMMON COUNCIL.


ELECTIONS AND RETURNS. - Councilmen Reed, Gracey, and Macdonald.


ENROLLED ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS. - Councilmen Berry, Robinson, and Story.


9


CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1897.


SCHOOL COMMITTEE.


ALBION A. PERRY, Mayor, Chairman, ex-officio. FRANK DEWITT LAPHAM, President of the Common Coun- cil, ex-officio. (Term, three years.) WARD ONE. S. NEWTON CUTLER (elected 1894). SANFORD HANSCOM, M. D. (elected 1896). GEORGE S. POOLE (elected 1895).


WARD Two.


ALVAH B. DEARBORN, M. D. (elected 1894). HERBERT A. CHAPIN (elected 1895). JAMES F. BEARD (elected 1896).


WARD THREE.


QUINCY E. DICKERMAN (elected 1895). FRANK H. HARDISON (elected 1894). GEORGE W. W. WHITING, M. D. (elected 1896).


WARD FOUR.


GILES W. BRYANT, M. D. (elected 1895). MARTIN W. CARR (elected 1896). GEORGE A. MILES, M. D. (elected 1894).


GORDON A. SOUTHWORTH, Superintendent and Secretary. Regular Meetings, last Monday evening of each month.


10


ANNUAL REPORTS.


ASSESSORS. ('Term, three years.) BENJAMIN F. THOMPSON, Chairman (term expires 1899). SAMUEL T. RICHARDS (term expires 1898). NATHAN H. REED (term expires 1900). Clerk of Assessors, ALBERT B. FALES.


ASSISTANT ASSESSORS. (Term, one year.)


WARD ONE. FRED. B. CLAPP.


WARD Two.


CHARLES C. FARRINGTON.


WARD THREE.


EDGAR T. MAYHEW.


WARD FOUR. FRANK A. TEELE.


BOARD OF HEALTH. (Term, three years.) ALLEN F. CARPENTER, Chairman (term expires 1900). ALVAH B. DEARBORN, M. D. (term expires 1898). ALVANO T. NICKERSON (term expires 1899). Clerk, WILLIAM P. MITCHELL. Inspector, CALEB A. PAGE. Superintendent Collection of Ashes and Offal, GEORGE W. S. HUSE.


11


CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1897.


OVERSEERS OF THE POOR. Office, Police Building, Bow street.


ALBION A. PERRY, Mayor, Chairman, ex-officio. (Term, four years.)


EDWARD B. WEST, President (term expires 1899). ALBERT W. EDMANDS (term expires 1897). HERBERT E. MERRILL (term expires 1898). EZRA D. SOUTHER (term expires 1900). Agent, CHARLES C. FOLSOM. Secretary, CORA F. LEWIS.


SOMERVILLE MYSTIC WATER BOARD.


- . Office, City Hall. (Term, three years.)


GEORGE D. WEMYSS, President (term expires 1900), 5 Austin street. GEORGE A. KIMBALL (term expires 1898), 33 Warren avenue.


WILLIAM FRANKLIN HALL (term expires 1899), 345 Broadway. NATHANIEL DENNETT, Supt. Water Works. FRANK. E. MERRILL, Clerk.


REGISTRARS OF VOTERS.


(Term : City Clerk, one year ; other members, three years.) CROMWELL G. ROWELL, Chairman (term expires 1900). CHARLES P. LINCOLN (term expires 1898). CHARLES E. PARKS (term expires 1899). GEORGE I. VINCENT, City Clerk.


12


ANNUAL REPORTS.


TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. (Term, three years.) CHARLES S. LINCOLN, Chairman (term expires 1900). CHARLES A. WEST (term expires 1898). JOHN B. VIALL (term expires 1899). J. HENRY FLITNER (term expires 1898). CHRISTOPHER E. RYMES (term expires 1900). ELIJAH C. CLARK (term expires 1898). CHARLES H. BROWN (term expires 1900).


J. FRANK WELLINGTON (term expires 1899). CHARLES W. SAWYER (term expires 1899). JOHN S. HAYES, Librarian and Secretary.


CITY CLERK. GEORGE I. VINCENT.


CITY TREASURER AND COLLECTOR OF TAXES. JOHN F. COLE.


MESSENGER TO CITY COUNCIL. JAIRUS MANN.


CITY SOLICITOR. SELWYN Z. BOWMAN. ( Resigned August 4. ) FRANK W. KAAN. ( Elected August 18.)


CITY AUDITOR. CHARLES S. ROBERTSON.


CITY ENGINEER. ERNEST W. BAILEY.


CLERK OF COMMITTEES. WILLIAM P. MITCHELL.


13


CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1897.


SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS. JOHN. P. PRICHARD.


INSPECTOR OF BUILDINGS AND SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS. FREDERICK C. FULLER.


INSPECTOR OF PLUMBING. DUNCAN C. GREENE.


SUPERINTENDENT OF ELECTRIC LINES AND LIGHTS. EDWARD BACKUS.


CHIEF OF POLICE. MELVILLE C. PARKHURST.


CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. JAMES R. HOPKINS.


CITY PHYSICIAN. ALVAH B. DEARBORN, M. D.


INSPECTOR OF MILK AND VINEGAR. CHARLES S. PHILBRICK.


INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS AND PROVISIONS. CHARLES M. BERRY.


SEALER OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. JOHN H. DUSSEAULT.


14


ANNUAL REPORTS.


BURIAL AGENTS. Under Chapter 279, Acts of 1896.


JAMES F. DAVLIN.


JOHN H. DUSSEAULT.


CONSTABLES.


JAIRUS MANN.


MELVILLE C. PARKHURST.


ROBERT R. PERRY.


WILLIAM D. HAYDEN.


CHARLES C. FOLSOM.


JOSEPH J. GILES.


EDWARD McGARR.


DENNIS KELLEY.


CHRIS. C. CAVANAGH.


CHARLES L. ELLIS.


EUGENE A. CARTER.


CLARENCE TUCKER.


PATRICK J. GARVIN.


GEORGE H. CARLETON.


FENCE VIEWERS.


LAMBERT M. MAYNARD. CHARLES M. BERRY.


MEASURER OF WOOD AND BARK. SAMUEL T. LITTLEFIELD.


MEASURERS OF GRAIN.


JOHN CRAIG. JAMES McFEDZEAN.


PUBLIC WEIGHER IN CHARGE OF CITY SCALES, UNION SQUARE. FULTON O'BRION.


WEIGHERS OF COAL.


CHARLES H. TUCKER. CLINTON E. SOMES.


GEORGE E. SLACK.


SIDNEY E. HAYDEN.


ROBERT A. YERXA.


IRWIN L. SMITH.


FRANK A. TEELE. SUMNER M. TEELE.


ALFRED A. WALDRON.


CHARLES P. BRANN.


THOMAS W. LANE. AMHERST F. DURKEE.


JOEL J. FISHER. CHARLES E. ROCKWELL.


CHARLES H. WARD.


C. EDWARD BYRNES.


15


CITY GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS FOR 1897.


WEIGHERS OF BEEF.


D. WARNER DANFORTH. CHARLES H. TUCKER.


FREDERICK A. GEILING.


GEORGE E. SLACK.


CLARENCE EDWARDS.


CLINTON E. SOMES.


THOMAS K. MARTIN.


EDWARD M. WHEELER.


AMHERST F. DURKEE.


THOMAS W. LANE.


CHARLES E. ROCKWELL.


JOEL J. FISHER.


CHARLES H. WARD.


C. EDWARD BYRNES.


ALFRED A. WALDRON.


POLICE DEPARTMENT. MELVILLE C. PARKHURST, Chief.


ROBERT R. PERRY, Captain. EDWARD McGARR, Sergt. CHRIS. C. CAVANAGH, Sergt. DENNIS KELLEY, Sergt.


EUGENE A. CARTER, Sergt. PHINEAS W. SKINNER.


JOHN E. FULLER.


SAMUEL A. BROWN.


ALBION L. STAPLES.


JOHN HAFFORD.


JUDSON W. OLIVER.


GEORGE A. BODGE.


GEORGE W. BEAN.


GEORGE H. CARLETON.


GEORGE L. SMITH.


FRANCIS A. PERKINS.


EDWARD M. CARTER.


CHARLES S. THRASHER.


CHARLES E. WOODMAN.


ARTHUR E. KEATING.


WILLIAM H. JOHNSTON. JOHN G. KNIGHT.


STEPHEN S. SMITH (resigned Feb. 10). EUGENE H. GAMMON.


THEODORE E. HERON. JACOB W. SKINNER.


IRA S. CARLTON.


JAMES M. HARMON.


ULYSSES G. SKINNER.


EZRA A. DODGE.


JAMES J. POLLARD.


DANIEL G. SIMONS.


SAMUEL BURNS.


FRED H. GOOGINS.


JOTHAM CHISHOLM. WILLIAM J. DAVIDSON.


ELMER E. DREW.


JOHN A. DADMUN.


EUGENE A. WOODSUM.


MELVILLE C. PARKHURST, Lockup Keeper.


RESERVE POLICE.


GEORGE L. RICE.


JOHN A. RAY.


HERBERT HILTON.


MYRON S. GOTT.


CHARLES W. REICK.


DAVID A. BOLTON.


CHARLES W. STEVENS.


MICHAEL T. KENNEDY.


MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.


CITY OF SOMERVILLE.


IN CONVENTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL, - January 3, 1898.


RESOLVED : That His Honor the Mayor be and he hereby is requested to furnish the Committee on Printing with a copy of his inaugural address for publication.


Read twice and adopted.


GEORGE I. VINCENT, Clerk.


INAUGURAL ADDRESS


DELIVERED BY


HON. ALBION A. PERRY,


JANUARY 3, 1898.


GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL : -


Chosen for a third time by the suffrages of my fellow- citizens to stand at the head of the municipal government of Somerville, I enter once more upon the duties of a high and responsible office with the determination to give to it the very best of my thought and effort. I should be strangely lacking in gratitude if, on this occasion, I failed to extend heartfelt thanks to my neighbors and friends throughout the city, who have given me such unmistakable evidence of their confidence and esteem. Proud, indeed, am I to know that such a generous indorsement of my past administration came not from the representatives of any one party or faction, but rather from intelligent and thought- ful citizens at large, men who place principle above partisan- ship, and obey the voice of conscience rather than the behests of any caucus or convention.


To you, who have been selected to serve with me in the councils of the city, I offer an honest pledge of hearty co-opera-


20


ANNUAL REPORTS.


tion in the work which we have been called upon to perform. I shall rely upon your good judgment and disinterested service for the success of my efforts, and in return you will feel free to command whatever aid I can render you in the discharge of your official duties. From the experience of the last two years, I am confident that we shall work together in harmony, and to the sole end of promoting the welfare of the city, whose inter- ests have been committed to our hands. In all our deliberations and doings, let us not fail to place chief reliance upon Him who "made the earth by his power, established the world by his wis- dom, and stretched out the heavens by his discretion."


THE CITY'S FINANCES.


I present herewith for your information and guidance the following tables, which embody a concise statement of the past management and present condition of the city's finances :-


FUNDED DEBT .- The funded debt of the city January 1, 1897, was as follows : -


Funded Debt, City Loan $1,007,000 00


Funded Debt, Sewer Loan 129,000 00


Funded Debt, Paving Loan 80,000 00


Funded Debt, Water Loan


315,000 00


Total Funded Debt $1,531,000 00


The debt was increased during the year by appropriations made by the City Council as follows :-


City Building, corner Highland avenue and Walnut street, Improvement of $5,000 00


City Hall Improvement 9,000 00


Electrical Department 1,000 00


Fire Department, Fire Station No. 3, improve- ment


1,000 00


Highways, Paving Somerville avenue from


Park street westerly 4,000 00


Highways, Subway at Kent street 3,000 00


Highways, Subway at Sacramento street 3,000 00


Amount carried forward


$26,000 00


21


MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.


Amount brought forward


$26,000. 00


Public Grounds, Sanborn Field


33,000 00


Renewals of Funded Debt


14,000 00


Schoolhouse, English High


500 00


Schoolhouse, Spring-hill District


53,500 00


Schoolhouse, Land in Ward 2


10,000 00


Schoolhouse, Ward 1


5,000 00


Sewers, Construction


25,000 00


Total amount of increase


$167,000 00


The debt was reduced during the year by payments as fol- lows :-


Funded Debt, City Loan


$118,000 00


Funded Debt, Sewer Loan 6,000 00


Funded Debt, Paving Loan 5,000 00


Funded Debt, Water Loan


21,000 00


Total amount of reduction . $150,000 00


Leaving the funded debt of the city January 1, 1898, $1,548,000 (an increase of $17,000 over the previous year), classified as follows :--


City Loan Bonds bearing interest at 4 per cent. $870,000 00


City Loan Bonds bearing interest at 42 per cent. 161,000 00


City Loan Sewer Bonds bearing interest at 4 per cent. . City Loan Sewer Bonds bearing interest at 42


134,000 00


per cent.


14,000 00


City Loan Paving Bonds bearing interest at 4 per cent.


75,000 00


Water Loan Bonds bearing interest at 4 per cent.


241,000 00


Water Loan Bonds bearing interest at 5 per cent. 43,000 00


Water Loan Bonds bearing interest at 5} per cent.


10,000 00


Total Funded Debt January 1, 1898 . $1,548,000 00


The foregoing amount (with the exception of a deficiency in the appropriations of $26,772.50 necessarily carried to the ac- count of 1898 for payment) represents the net indebtedness of the city, the unfunded liabilities for temporary loans, etc., being equalled by its assets, which consist of uncollected taxes, sewer and sidewalk assessments, etc.


22


ANNUAL REPORTS.


TAXES. - The assessors' warrant for the tax levy assessed upon the polls and estates of the inhabitants, as of May 1, 1897, was duly submitted to the collector.


The total amount of taxable property was $50,231,000, and the rate established was $17.30 on each $1,000 valuation, as follows :-


Real Estate, valuation . $46,363,625 00


Personal Estate, valuation . . 3,867,375 00


Total valuation . . $50,231,000 00


At a rate of $17.30 on each $1,000 valuation .


$868,996 30


Polls, 15,808 at $2.00 31,616 00


Street watering, 324,053 linear feet at 4c.


12,962 12


Total amount of tax levy


$913,574 42


APPROPRIATIONS. - The amount of revenue provided by the tax levy may properly be classified as follows :-


Rate as- · sessed on $1,000 valu- ation.


Amount.


For Current expenses within the con-


trol of the city council . . .


$6.484


$325,700 00


Current expenses of departments


over which the city council has no control


4.549


228,500 00


Debt requirements


3.782


190,000 00


State and county taxes, Metropoli- tan sewer assessments, and


overlay account .


2.485


124,796 30


For total amount on a valuation of $50,231,000 at $17.30


$868,996 30


Poll taxes assessed credited to State and County .


31,616 00


Street watering in excess of amount ap- propriated


12,962 12


Total amount of tax levy


$913,574 42


23


MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.


The appropriations to the various accounts were as follows :- ACCOUNTS WITHIN THE CONTROL OF THE CITY COUNCIL.


Rate per $1,000 valuation.


Amount.


Electrical Department


$0.127


$6,400 00


Engineering Department


0.179


9,000 00


Fire Department


1.095


55,000 00


Highways .


1.254


63,000 00


Indigent Soldiers and Sailors


0.006


300 00


Miscellaneous


0.139


7,000 00


Police


0.919


46,000 00


Police Station Incidentals


0.048


2,500 00


Printing and Stationery


0.129


6,500 00


Public Grounds


0.119


6,000 00


Relief and Burial of Indigent Soldiers and Sailors


0.139


7,000 00


Salaries


0.199


10,000 00


School Contingent, Janitors' Salaries,


0.33


16,500 00


School Fuel


0.199


10,000 00


Schoolhouse Incidentals


0.319


16,000 00


Sewers, Maintenance


0.119


6,000 00


Sidewalks


0.199


10,000 00


Street Lights


0.896


45,000 00


Watering Streets


0.069


3,500 00


Total amount assessed on a valu-


tion of $50,231,000 at .


. $6.484 $325,700 00


ACCOUNTS OVER WHICH THE CITY COUNCIL HAS NO CONTROL.


Rate per $1,000 valuation.


Health Department


$0.398


Amount. $20,000 00


Public Library .


0.15


7,500 00


School Contingent


18,000 00


School Teachers' Salaries


3.643


165,000 00


Support of Poor


0.358


18,000 00


Total amount assessed on a valua- tion of $50,231,000 at . $4.549 $228,500 00


ACCOUNTS PROVIDING FOR DEBT REQUIREMENTS.


Interest


$80,000 00


Reduction of Funded Debt


110,000 00


Total amount assessed on a valuation of $50,231,000 at $3.782


$190,000 00


.


24


ANNUAL REPORTS.


ACCOUNTS PROVIDING FOR STATE AND COUNTY TAXES, ETC.


County tax $40,875 13 .


Deduct one-half of polls, 15,808 00 '$0.50


$25,067 13


State Tax $30,205 00


Deduct one-half of polls, 15,808 00


0.287


14,397 00


Metropolitan Sewer Assessments, 1896


and 1897 .


1.571


78,921 31


Non-resident Bank Stock


0.02


989 99


Overlay and Abatement


0.107


5,420 87


Total amount assessed on a valua- tion of $50,231,000 at . . . $2.485 $124,796.30


INCOME. - In addition to the above, the following appropria- tions were made from the various income accounts :-


Salaries, the amonnt received of the state for corporation and bank taxes


$28,647 19


Police, the amount received of the clerk of the court for fines, costs, etc. Public Library, the amount received of the county for dog licenses .


4,878 02


2,230 69


Water Maintenance, from the income of the water works .


56,000 00


Water Works Extension, from the income of the water works


10,000 00


Water Loan Interest, from the income of the water works


12,930 00


Reduction of Funded Debt, balance of income of the water works, premium on bonds, etc.


26,895 01


Tax Levy


913,574 42


Total amount of income and appropriations for the year $1,055,155 33


25


MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.


The following tables, giving a condensed history of the city's finances, are herewith presented for reference :-


YEAR.


Amount of Funded Debt.


Increase of Funded Debt.


Reduction of Funded Debt.


Tax Rate per $1,000 Valuation on Account of Reduc- tion of Funded Debt.


Town


$593,349


Dec. 31, 1872


643,354


$50,005


1873


1874


1,419,854


610,500


1875


1,571,854


152,000


1876


1,606,854


45,000


$55,130 62


$2 07


66


1877


1,606,854


10,000


58,828 58


2 30


66


1879


1,585,000


64,915 76


3 42


66


1880


1,585,000


55,739 35


2 72


66


1881


1,585,000


58,498 64


2 59


1882


1,585,000


61,390 59


2 65


1883


1,585,000


64,479 01


2 70


1884


1,585,000


67,719 33


2 78


66


1885


*1,525,000


71,305 66


2 87


66


1886


1,525,000


66,894 23


2 57


66


1888


*860,500


25,000


37,000 00


1 28


66


1890


1,057,500


150,000


45,000 00


1 38


1,045,500


45,000


57,000 00


1 55


1892


1,194,500


253,000


104,000 00


2 73


1,279,500


222,000


137,000 00


3 27


66


1894


1,344,500


172,000


107,000 00


2 42


1895


1,506,500


247,000


85,000 00


1 83


1896


1,531,000


177,000


152,500 00


3 11


66


1897


1,548.000


167,000


150,000 00


2 99


.


70,252 88


2 56


1889


952,500


130,000


38,000 00


1 27


1891


1,596,854


61,004 64


2 91


809,354


166,000


·


1878


1887


1,525,000


1893


* Sinking fund applied.


26


ANNUAL REPORTS.


YEAR.


VALUATION.


TAX LEVY.


RATE.


1872


· $22,755,325


$274,374 45


$13 00


1873


29,643,100


389,214 48


12 80


1874


30,837,700


473,235 50


15 00


1875


31,317,000


518,161 40


16 20


1876


26,573,400


504,745 24


18 60


1877


25,479,400


471,789 14


18 10


1878


20,976,900


409,497 10


19 00


1879


18,950,100


352,553 80


18 00


1880


20,458.100


402,927 71


19 10


1881


22,569,100


452,945 45


19 50


1882


23,162,200


425,721 16


17 80


1883


23,812,900


411,645 43


16 70


1884


24,331,100


418,750 26


16 60


1885


24,878,400


428,605 44


16 60


1886


26,003,200


416,987 28


15 40


1887


27,471,800


424,309 14


14 80


1888


28,765,400


421,458 60


14 00


1889


30,004,600


440,324 40


14 00


1890


32,557,500


447,704 00


14 00


1891


36,843,440


539,137 10


14 00


1892


38,093,100


596,357 50


5 00


1893


41,873,600


675,886 80


15 50


1894


44,142,900


721,165 54


15 70


1895


46,506,300


745,609 02


15 40


1896


49,070,800


786,412 32


40


1897


50,231.000


913,574 42


17 30


Many interesting, and several encouraging, facts are dis- closed by the foregoing tables, and to a few of them I will briefly refer.


First .- It will be seen that the funded debt of the city has reached an aggregate of $1,548,000. This is an increase of $17,000 over the previous year, the smallest increase, with a single ex- ception, during the last nine years. Let us hope that during the present year not a single dollar will be added to the city's bonded indebtedness. While it is true that the obligations for which Somerville is primarily liable amount to only $1,548,000, it should be borne in mind that the city is holden for its proportional part of the debts created for metropolitan improvements. It is proba- ble that this item of indebtedness-which includes metropolitan water supply, sewers, parks, and boulevards-will ultimately ex- ceed $3,000,000. The greater part of this sum represents the cost of the metropolitan water system, and as this enterprise will be more than self-supporting, it need not cause any anxiety.


27


MAYOR'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.


Second .- It will be noted that the tax rate rose from $15.40 on a thousand in 1896 to $17.30 in 1897, and not a little dissatis- faction has been expressed at an increase of $1.90 in a sin- gle year. This, however, was due to circumstances wholly be- yond the control of the City Council. It was indicative neither of extravagant appropriations nor of diminished resources. The explanation, in brief, is this :- Owing to a mistake on the part of the state authorities, no apportionment of the metropolitan sewer assessment was made in 1896, consequently, the tax rate for that year was about sixty cents on a thousand less than it otherwise would have been. Last year, a double assessment, amounting to about $1.57 on a thousand, was levied. This represented expen- ditures by a state commission, not in any way amenable to munici- pal authority. The remainder of the increase in the tax rate was attributable to larger debt requirements, and a falling off in the amount of new property as compared with previous years. It has already been seen that the city government of last year was in no way responsible for the volume of the funded debt, and the diminished growth of the city's property valuation was due to causes to which I shall later refer. It may be confidently pre- dicted that we shall see a slightly lower tax rate this year.


Third .- It will be a surprise to many, who have given no thought to the subject, to learn from the preceding tables that only a little more than one-third of the annual expenditures, rep- resented by the tax rate of $17.30, are directly within the control of the City Council. Several of the most costly departments are managed by official boards, who are in no way accountable to the City Council, and the city government must provide for debt re- quirements and metropolitan assessments in the manner fixed by law. Hence it will be seen that $10.82 of last year's tax rate was used for purposes not within the control of the City Council or the Mayor.


Fourth .- The present City Council receives from its prede- cessor an unwelcome legacy of $26,772.50 in the form of unpaid bills. It is indeed unfortunate that such large overdrafts in the various appropriations were incurred. They will embarrass you, gentlemen, in providing for the needs of the several departments


28


ANNUAL REPORTS.


the present year. It should be said, however, in justice to last. year's City Council, that much the larger part of the deficiency was created by departments which are a law unto themselves in the matter of expenditures. I ask you to establish a new prece- dent this year, and stoutly to resist every temptation to exceed the appropriations made for the several departments under your control.


The borrowing capacity of the city, within the statutory debt: limit, on the first day of next July will be $179,000. Of this amount the suin of $15,000 will be required for the renewal of maturing obligations, leaving $164,000 as the net available bor- rowing capacity on the date above named. This is an increase of $11,000 over the borrowing capacity of the city on the first day of July, 1897. It is to be hoped that loans will not be authorized to the full limit of the law. It would seem that the most pressing public improvements could be provided for, and a borrowing capacity of not less than $40,000 retained for future needs.


One of the most serious defects of our present financial sys- tem is due to the delay in making appropriations on funded debt account. In order to take advantage of the full borrowing capacity of the city, the annual issuance of bonds does not occur until after the first day of July. Contracts for important public works must be held back, pending the sale of bonds, and thus it happens that the commencement of schoolhouses, fire stations, sewer systems, street paving, and other like improvements is put off until mid-summer, and sometimes until a much later period. The construction of our public buildings, as a rule, is barely underway before freezing weather comes on, and the work is de- layed and its quality impaired by the unfavorable conditions under which it is performed. In some cases the city has been deprived. of the use of a large school building for several months on account of the suspension of work during the winter season. It should be the aim of our municipal boards so to manage the city's. finances as to retain a borrowing capacity which will permit of making appropriations on funded debt account near the beginning of the year. If a new city charter is to be adopted, it should be so framed as to provide for earlier annual appropriations.




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