Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1896 — Will City Government Cost More? [ARTICLE]

Will City Government Cost More?

Quite a good many voters hold the opinion that the extra cost of a city government will more than offset the advantages to be derived from it, in other ways. But whether a city government materially increases taxes, will depend almost entirely, it seems to us, on the kind of men elected to those city offices. Necessarily, it need not be very much more expensive . Except a mayor and one more city “father,” there need be no more officers than now, and the salaries need be no higher. The mayor’s salary need be no higher than that of the aldermen. And as all fees and certain of the fines collected in his court, or in the court of the justice who acts for him, have to be turned into the city treasury, it is, likely ibat his office would nearly or quite pay its own salary. In this connection, however, we wish to correct a mistake made last week. In asserting that all finis collected by the mayor were turned into the city treasury, we , were misinformed. Only fines assessed for violating town ordinances can be so turned over, and these of,course will amount to very little. The fines for violation ©f the penal laws of the state have to go to the school fund, the same as any other court. But in the matter of saloon license, the right of charging SIOO more per year, under a city charter, is positive. This privilege, if taken adventage of, as it doubtless would be, would alone probably add enough to the city revenue to offset the added cost of a city government.