Austin 1883 Tax and Bridge Plans
• Tax Rate Set: The city council approved a 1% property tax on all real and personal property in Austin for 1883, rejecting two competing tax proposals in favor of a compromise ordinance.
• Market Houses and Hospital Rejected: Alderman Kinney proposed dedicating portions of tax revenue to build public market houses and a city hospital, but the amendment failed to pass.
• Bridge Construction Approved: The King Bridge Company received permission to unload materials for the Colorado Bridge along Congress Avenue near the waterfront.
• Attendance Penalty: Two absent aldermen (Lawrence and Wilson) were each fined one dollar for missing the meeting.
Full Transcript
344 Called meeting of the City Council Austin Texas August 23, 1883
Hon W H Taylor Mayor Presiding
Roll call present aldermen Metz Kinney Schubart Vannekukle Driskill Haphertz Board and Plath Absent aldermen Lawrence and Wilson A fine of one dollar was entered against Aldermen Lawrence and Wilson for non attendance at this meeting
The Mayor stated that the Council had been called for the purpose of considering matters pertaining to taxation
The Ordinance Committee submitted the following report
To the Honorable W H Taylor Mayor and President of the Board of Aldermen of the City of Austin The Committee on ordinances to whom has been referred two ordinances relating to the Ad Valorem Tax to be levied by said city for the year 1883 beg leave to report adversely to the adoption of either of said ordinances and recommend the adoption of the accompanying ordinance as a substitute for both ordinances so referred Respectfully submitted Board Plath Metz Committee
On motion the report of the ordinance committee was adopted by the following vote yeas aldermen Metz Vannekukle Driskill Haphertz Board and Plath Nays Aldermen Kinney & Schubart. The ordinance submitted with the report of the Committee Provides that there shall be levied and collected by the City of Austin a Tax of one per cent for the year 1883 on all
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345 property real and personal situated in the City of Austin and made Payable by law for State and County purposes. Alderman Kinney offered the following amendment. Amend section One as follows That one tenth of the amount collected shall be set aside for building market houses in such parts of the City as the City Council may hereafter direct and that one twentieth of the amount collected shall be set apart to be used in the construction of a City hospital The motion to adopt the amendment was lost
The ordinance was read third time and passed by the following vote yeas Aldermen Metz, Pfannekucke, Berkele, Sneed and Platt Nays Kinney Schuber and Guppirtz
A Petition was received from the King Bridge Company requesting the Council to grant them the privilege of unloading materials for the Colorado Bridge on that part of Congress Avenue south of where the water trough stood and south of water street, to the Colorado river Petition granted. On motion the Council adjourned
S L Purcell City Clerk