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IFentRESCINDS ACTION, CUTTINGSALARIES!SPECIAL .MEETING OF THE CJTV COUNCIL HELD ON MONDAY EVENINGFavorable Action Taken on Petition of Fire Department and Committee Instructed to Work Out AdjustmentThe action of the c,ty council in passing an ordinance at the regular March meeting- reducing the salary of the fire chief and truck driver from §100 to $50 a month and the salary of the night driver from $25 to $15 a month was rescinded at a special meeting of the city council held Monday evening. The vote on the motion was five to one.Following this action a motion instructing the matter be referred back to the fire committee with instructions to confer with the fire deparment and make some adjustment regarding a proposition of the fire department in raising funds to take up the overdraft in the fire maintenance fund and to prepare such ordinance as deemed necessary to cover such adjustment was passed.The matter came up on a petition of the fire department, that the city council reconsider tneir dormer action and practically what amounted to an ultimatum that unless the council did rescind that the Are uepaitmeut with the exception of two or three members^ would resign following their meeting on Tuesday evening of this week.hWhile voicing their appreciation of the services which had been rendered by the fire department, referring to the fact that economies must be practiced in order to comply with the state law, and deploring the uncompromising position taken by the fire department, the council decided that it would be advisable to take action as indicated above.The members of the fire department, according to statements made to members of tiie council, have offered to donate $200 and. circulate subscription papers for donations, providing the city council will transfer the money, received from the Owens hose house property to the fire maintenance fund and leave tiie salaries as they were in the past. An effort will be made to work out a plan along this line. It is probable that another special meeting will be called before the end of the month and that an ordinance embodying these ideas will be ready for presentation at that time.The fact that a paid fire department was maintained for an entire year before there were any monies in the fire maintenance fund created an overdraft which it has never been possible to overcome. Every warrant drawnn t his fund so long as this condition exists is contrary to law and the council has been warned to discontinue the practice. If some plan can be worked out whereby it will be possible to take up this overdraft and leave funds available at all times to pay warrants as they are issued against the fund, then all that the council has been striving for will have been accomplished and tiie efficient fire department will be retained. If this cannot be accomplished then the situation again becomes serious.That a fire department must be maintained and the proper protection against fires be furnished is an absolute necessity and no one recognizes this fact more thoroughly than do the members of the council. At the same time they are confronted with a serious situation—the fact that they are violating the laws of the state and laying themselves liable to prosecution for such violation.Every effort will be made to work out a solution of the problem that will prove satisfactory.oiMiialteibe:wc10'Ani“8utcerthe,’ee'JR.paiAntioiCitmfee
Newspaper Details
Marion Weekly Sentinel
Marion, Iowa, US
Thu, Mar 20, 1924
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 07 Sep 2023
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