CITY OF MELROSE MASSACHUSETTS WITH Mayor’s Inaugural Address Delivered January 6th, 1913 PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY CLERK Meerose, Mass. Melrose Free Press, Inc. 19H . OLIVER B, MUNROE MAYOR INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF OLIiZER B. MUNROE MAYOR OF MELROSE DELIVERED JANUARY 6th, 1913 Mr. President and Members of the Board of Aldermen, Fellow Citizens : In assuming the duties of the office to which I have been elected by the will of the people, I am keenly mindful of its responsibilities and the seriousness of the service which I am called upon to render. The people are demanding and have the right to demand that those whom they elect to public office shall “make good” and it is a gratifying sign of the times that they are holding those whom they thus honor, to a more rigid accountability for the trust reposed in them. The chief executive who faithfully and efficiently serves the peo- ple must constantly have before him what the best interests of the community as a whole- require, what is most conducive to its material welfare, its growth and prosperity along right lines, involving of course all questions of conveniences and improvements, a wise husbanding of its resources, its increase in enlightenment and morality, the promo- tion of law and order, the safeguarding of life and property, and the amelioration of conditions under which human life is lived. It is evident that the successful meeting of these requirem mts in- volves the putting forth of the best effort of which one is capable. It involves the exercise of business acumen and common sense, of tact and breadth of judgment, a knowledge of human nature, alertness, continuous attention to the city’s affairs, absolute honesty and in- tegrity of purpose, an obedience to and enforcement of the law. It will be my constant effort during my incumbency of this office to give to the city the best that is within me to the end that the administration of our municipal affairs may be conducted along these lines, and such recommendations as I shall have to offer will be in accordance there- with. 4 CITY OF MELROSE Many and great improvements would be recommended and strongly urged by me at this moment if the present and prospective revenue of the city were such as to justify them. Such of them as I feel that the city is warranted in undertaking during the current year, I shall not hesitate to recommend. But while our financial condition is sound, it behooves us to see that it is kept so. In this connection, 1 ask for the hearty cooperation of the Board of Aldermen. With your body rests the authority to appropriate. I ask of you that you ex- amine very carefully every request or order introduced for an ap- propriation. While there has been an increase in taxable property during the past few years, it has not kept pace with the increase in expenses, and in order that the annual appropriation for current expenses may be kept within the $12-dollar tax limit demanded by State law, it has been necessary to provide for outlays other than bare necessities by borrowing, as a result of which our indebtedness, and our interest obligations have been increased. I desire in this connection to call attention briefly to a statement, which the City Auditor has furnished me, showing a comparison of budgets, tax levy, tax rate, valuation, and population of 1900 with those of 1912. COMPARISON OF BUDGET, TAX LEVY, TAX RATE, VALUATION, AND POPULATION OF 1900 WITH THOSE OF 1912. Showing amount of increase and per cent of increase. 1900 1912 Increase in 1912 amount per cent. Budget City, $240,662.41 $335,743.72 Overlay 3,309.39 12,466.03 $243,971.80 $348,209.75 $104,237.95 42.70 Less Appropriated from De- partment receipts, Bank and Corporation Tax, etc. $40,825.00 $41,817.01 In Tax Levy for City Pur- poses $203,146.80 $306,392.71 $103,245.91 50.82 State Tax $6,645.00 $27,000.00 20,355.00 306.33 State Sewer Tax 9,431.01 15,804.48 6,373.47 67.58 MAYOR’S ADDRESS 5 Metropolitan Park Tax 6,230.65 9,412.75 3,182.10 51.07 State Highway Tax None 18.45 Charles River Basin None 1,323.3 < $22,306.66 $53,559.05 $31,252.39 140.10 County Tax $11,857.11 $14,860.33 $3,003.22 25.33 Total Tax Levy 237,310.57 374,812.09 137,501.52 57.94 Tax Rate 18.00 20.40 4.20 36.34 Valuation $12,778,365.00 $17,422,800.00 $4,644,435.00 36.34 Population 12,715.00 16,241.00 3,526.00 27.73 These figures show that while the total valuation has increased f om $12,778,365.00 to $17,422,800.00, or 36.34 per cent., the to!:al tax levy has risen from $237,310.57 to $374,812.09, or an increase of 57.94 per cent., necessitating an increase in the tax rate of $2.40 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, or 13.33 per cent. This rise in the tax levy has been rendered necessary largely by the increase in our various State taxes, which have risen from $22,000 in 1900 to $53,000 in 1912, equivalent to $3.00 on a thousand on $17,000,000 assessed valuation, also by the increased demands of the public for improvements and conveniences without a proportionate increase in revenue, to say nothing of the added cost incurred by the advance in the price of material and labor. These figures, I hope, will show you the need of exercising wise economy in the making of appropriations during the current year. There is, however, another side to the picture, which is very gratifying, namely, while our tax rate in the past few years has risen and our gross indebtedness has increased, the city’s material assets have grown larger in a much greater proportion. I have prepared a statement in this connection, with the details of which 1 will not weary you, showing that our total bonded debt December 28, 1912, was $1,052,500.00, against which there were in the sinking funds to be applied to the payment of these bonds when they mature, $524,001.90, leaving a net bonded debt of $528,498.10. Our gross debt, including bonded, municipal and permanent debt and temporary loans in anticipation of taxes and other items, was $1,298,822.81 against which, in the way of assets, there were sinking funds as above and other items, amounting in all to $799,869.00, leav- ing the net indebtedness at $498,953.53. Our material assets amount to $2,012,944.84, including among the most prominent items the following: —School houses and land, $530,845.00; sewer system, — 6 CITY OF MELROSE $443,564.22; water system, $424,259.91; city hall and fire station, $152,400.00; public library, $66,900.00; surface drainage, $148,523.64. fire department, $63,224.55. Our material assets as compared with 1900 have risen from $1,462,209.57 to $2,012,944.84, or over a half- million dollars in 12 years, an increase of nearly 40 per cent., while our assets in the nature of cash, sinking funds, uncollected taxes, etc., have risen from $290,419.93 to $799,869.28. Any city, which can show such a substantial increase in its material assets and at the same time keep its net indebtedness within the limits shown by these figures, is certainly in a financially sound condition, and it is no wonder that its credit is of the highest order and that its bonds command a high premium in the financial markets of the world. The amount which must be raised in 1913 for the payment of municipal debt is $8,691.00 and of permanent debt $18,310.00, making a total of $27,001.00. Loans have been authorized since the last budget was passed, as follows: Sundry notes, $22,345.40; bonds, $39,000.00, making a total of $61,345.40. Our borrowing capacity for 1913 is $154,427.51. BONDED DEBT, DECEMBER 28, 1912. Auditorium Bonds $47,000.00 Park Bonds 19,500.00 School Bonds 278,000.00 Sewerage Bonds 380,000.00 Surface Drainage Bonds 125,000.00 Water Bonds 203,000.00 Total $1,052,500.00 In Sinking Funds to be applied to payment of above bonds at maturity: School House $162,824.22 Sewerage 219,582.34 Surface Drainage 26,587.56 Water 115,007.78 Total $524,001.90 Net Bonded Debt $528,498.10 Bonded Debt $1,052,500.00 Muni cipal Debt 8, 69 1 . 00 Permanent Debt 44,010.00 Temporary loans in anticipation of taxes 163,900.00 MAYOR’S ADDRESS 7 Cemetery Trust Funds 28,399.50 E. Toothaker Trust Funds 1,322.31 Gross Debt $1,298,822.81 ASSETS, DECEMBER 28, 1912. Cash on hand $17,013.87 Sinking Funds 524,001.90 Due from Commonwealth 2,739.50 “ “ Uncollected Taxes 215,903.16 “ “ Uncollected Tax Titles 134.43 “ “ Uncollected Tax Takings 6,087.00 “ “ R. E. Possessions 2,968.12 “ “ Sewer Possessions 471.76 “ “ Moth Assessments (approx.) 321.88 “ “ Sewer Assessments (approx.) 10,965.15 “ “ Sidewalk Assessments (approx.) 4,021.48 “ “ Street Betterment (approx.) 2,642.41 “ “ Street Sprinkling (approx.) 10,295.04 “ “ Water Rates (approx.) 2,303.58 Total $799,869.28 Gross Debt ...