To the Honorable the City Council : GENTLEMEN,— In submitting the annual budget I express satisfaction that the subject of estimates and appropriations goes to the City Government proper, and I trust that good use will be made of the power vested in you, vindicating the cause of popular government. By passing the annual appropriation at a reasonably early day, after due consideration, and in a fair spirit, without logrolling and useless contention, the City Council will commend itself to public opinion, and the expediency of restoring a Board of Estimate and Apportionment will be avoided. At best the City Council may introduce petty changes in the bill offered herewith, the amount available being limited by law, and imperatively required for expenditures not easily reduced. In fact the reasonable requirements of the public service, each item justified and demanded by sound policy, exceed the sum available for distribution. Your labor will not consist in favoring this or that Department, but in finding out which items can be pared down with the least danger. It is idle to think that the sum of $780,000 allotted for paving, approaches requirements; $1,780,000 would be nearer the mark, but cannot be allowed for reasons of law. The tax limit laid down by the law makes a just appropriation bill impossible. Attention is invited to the amounts required for interest and sinking fund. The total in the present estimates is $5,245,135. The requirements of the Metropolitan districts are not mentioned. Treating these as a debt requirement, which seems proper, perhaps, and adding items of a like nature, especially armory and grade-crossing loans ordered by the Commonwealth, the current financial year may witness an expense of fully $6,000,000 by the City of Boston for interest and sinking funds, to take care of what we owe and shall certainly pay. Our water debt calls for $1,018,831. In addition we pay our share, to say the least, of the Metropolitan water debt. Last year this item was $411,861.54. This year it is to be $555,000. I conclude that Boston cannot live properly within the tax limit laid down by the law, and that our debt has reached alarming proportions. Respectfully, THOMAS N. HART, Mayor. CITY OF BOSTON.. APPROPRIATIONS AND TAX ORDERS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1900-1901. Ordered, That to meet the current expenses payable during the financial year beginning with the first day of February, 1900, of performing the duties and exercising the powers devolved by statute or ordinance, or by vote of the City Council during the year, upon the City of Boston or the County of Suffolk, or the departments or officers thereof, and to meet their respective obligations for interest on debt, sinking fund requirements and maturing debt not provided for by sinking fund, the respective sums of money hereinafter specified be, and the same are, hereby appropriated for the several departments, and for the objects and purposes hereinafter stated. Ordered, That the appropriations for Water Department, current expenses, and the payments to the State under the provisions of chapter 488 of the Acts of 1895 and acts in addition or amendment thereto, and for the interest and sinking fund requirements for loans issued for water purposes, be met by the income from said works; that the other appropriations hereinafter specified be met out of the money remaining in the treasury at the close of business on January 31, 1900, exclusive of the money raised by loan or needed to carry out the requirements of any statute, gift, trust or special appropriation, and by the income of the financial year beginning February 1, 1900, and by taxes to the amount of $10,794.110, and that said amount be raised by taxation on the polls and estates taxable in the City of Boston. Ordered, That all sums of money which form no part of the income of the city, but shall be paid for services rendered or work done by any department or division for any other department or division, or for any person or corporation other than the city of Boston, be paid into the general treasury and then credited to the appropriation of the department or division rendering such service or doing such work, and that all contributions made to any appropriation be expended for the objects and purposes directed by the several contributors thereof. Ordered, That to provide temporarily money to meet the appropriations aforesaid, the City Treasurer issue and sell, at such times and in such amounts as he may deem best, bonds, notes or certificates of indebtedness of the city of Boston, not exceeding seven million dollars in the total, in anticipation of the taxes of the current municipal year; that all such bonds, notes or certificates of indebtedness be dated the day the money for the same is received, be made payable with the interest thereon at the office of the City Treasurer within the current municipal year, from the taxes of said year, and bear interest from their date until the same are made payable at such rate as said Treasurer shall deem proper. Ordered, That all taxes raised to meet the appropriations of the City Council, and all taxes assessed for meeting the city's proportion of the state tax of the year 1900, or of any other taxes or assessments payable to the Commonwealth, be due and payable on the first day of October, 1900; that all such taxes paid after the first day of November, 1900, bear interest from and including said day until paid, at the rate of six per cent. per annum up to the first day of January, 1901, and at the rate of seven per cent. per annum after and including said first day of January, except that taxes assessed upon shares of stock of national banks shall bear interest at the rate of twelve per cent. per annum from and including said first day of November until paid; and that all interest which shall have become due on taxes shall be added to and be a part of such taxes. Ordered, That the City Auditor, from time to time during the year, may, with the approval of the Mayor, make transfers within any department from the appropriation for current expenses of one division of a department to the appropriation for current expenses of any other division of the same department; and may, with the further approval of the Committee on Finance, make transfers from the reserved fund to any appropriation for current expenses of a department; and that said Auditor may, with the approval of the Mayor, between December 1, 1900, and February 1, 1901, make transfers from any appropriation to any other appropriation, and apply any of the income and taxes not disposed of in closing the accounts for the financial year. CURRENT EXPENSES. ART DEPARTMENT: Five hundred dollars ASSESSING DEPARTMENT: One hundred and fifty thousand dollars • AUDITING DEPARTMENT: Forty-one thousand dol lars BATH DEPARTMENT: Seventy thousand dollars. BOARD OF ALDERMEN: Twenty-six thousand one hundred dollars Salaries BUILDING DEPARTMENT: Ninety thousand dollars dollars • CITY COUNCIL: Twenty-five thousand dollars - City Council Proceedings $21,100 00 CITY DEBT REQUIREMENTS: Four million and thirty-nine thousand six hundred and sixty dollars Interest DEPARTMENT: CITY MESSENGER Thirty-three thousand dollars CLERK OF COMMITTEES DEPARTMENT: Fourteen Current expenses Contingent expenses Salaries of clerk and assistants $5,000 00 COLLECTING DEPARTMENT: One hundred and five thousand dollars COMMON COUNCIL: Twenty-nine thousand five hun dred dollars Salaries of Councilmen $14,000 00 $22,500 00 ELECTION DEPARTMENT: One hundred and thirty lars Carried forward Brought forward FIRE DEPARTMENT: One million one hundred and ninety-five thousand dollars Current expenses IIEALTH DEPARTMENT: One hundred and forty-five thousand dollars HOSPITAL DEPARTMENT: Three hundred and ninety thousand dollars Island Parental School Marcella-street Home INSTITUTIONS : CHILDREN'S INSTITUTIONS DEPARTMENT: One Rainsford Island Almshouse, Charlestown INSANE HOSPITAL DEPARTMENT: Three hun- Office expenses Pauper expenses Steamer "John Howard "" PAUPER INSTITUTIONS hundred and thirty-four thousand dollarsBoston Almshouse and Hospital, Long Public Celebrations and Lectures Patriots' Day, April 19, 1900, Memorial Day, May 30 Veteran Firemen's Memorial Day June 17 July 4 Labor's Holiday $1,147,000 00 INSTITUTIONS BRADLEE": eighteen REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT: LIBRARY DEPARTMENT: Two hundred and seventy dred dollars MAYOR: Sixty-three thousand eight hundred dollars Mayor $35,000 00 $90,000 00 40,000 00 DEPARTMENT: One $500 00 8,200 00 $125,000 00 400 00 4,500 00 11,000 00 1,200 00 3,000 00 $106,000 00 15,000 00 4,000 00 1,500 00 7,500 00 28,800 00 MUSIC DEPARTMENT: Ten thousand dollars OVERSEEING OF THE POOR DEPARTMENT: One hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. Carried forward $4,930,710 00 1,195,000 00 145,000 00 390,000 00 171,000 00 317,000 00 134,000 00 20,000 00 18,500 00 680,000 00 42,500 00 270,000 00 8,300 00 63,800 00 10,000 00 125,000 00 $8,520,810 00 |