641 CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS Recessed Meeting December 21,1944 8:00 P.M. Council Chamber, City Hall 691 The meeting was called to order, with Mayor Miller presiding. Roll call Present: Councilmen Bartholomew, Gillis, and Mayor Miller Absent : Councilmen Alford and Wolf 2 3 Present also: Walter E. Seaholm, Acting City Manager; J.M.Patterson, Jr., Acting City Attorney; Joe Huffman, Finance Director; the Board of Trustees of the Austin Public Schools; Dr. Russell A. Lewis, Superintendent of Schools; and a large group of citizens. The Mayor announced that this joint meeting of the City Council and the Board of Trustees of the Austin Public Schools was called to discuss publicly a matter of interest to all citizens of Austin, namely, the request of said Board of Trustees for annual appropriations of approximately $300,000.00 out of the revenues of the Water, Light and Power Department for maintenance of the Austin Public Schools. The Board of Trustees then presented their request, with E.W.Jackson, Chairman of the Finance Committee, speaking at length on the present and future needs of the Schools, and the Board's reasons for asking for additional funds, to-wit, $187,000.00 per year to take care of a 20-year graduated scale of increase in teachers' salaries, and $125,000.00 per year for a cumulative building fund to replace bond issues; and asked that the City Council call an election to amend the City Charter to provide for the payment of said amounts out of the revenues of the Water, Light and Power Department. A discussion of the matter was then entered into, with all persons present being given an opportunity to participate. J. M. Patterson, Jr., Acting City Attorney, stated that he was in favor of assistance to the schools, but was unable to advise the City Council that the Charter amendment would be upheld by the Courts, in view of the holding in the case of City of El Paso vs. Carroll; that it was possible to submit the question to the courts and have a declaratory judgment within approximately three months. CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS = 692 The School Board objected to the procedure suggested by the Acting City Attorney, namely, a declaratory judgment by the courts first; and asked that a Charter amendment be voted on first. The citizens present and speaking in favor of the request submitted by the School Board were: Mrs. Williams, F. L. Kuykendall, and William Trenckmann. The citizen present and questioning the advisability of placing such an encumbrance on the revenues of the Water, Light and Power Department Raymond Canion. was: Following a lengthy discussion of the matter, with Mayor Miller advocating an annual maximum appropriation of $125,000.00 out of the revenues of the Water, Light and Power Department for maintenance of the schools, with bond issues for permanent buildings; and the School Board advocating an annual appropriation of $300,000.00 for both maintenance and permanent buildings, it was tentatively agreed by the City Council and the School Board that the amount to be submitted to the voters for their approval, by Charter amendment, would be $175,000.00, and the School Board would take under advisement for further consideration the suggestion that permanent buildings be taken care of with bond issues, and advise the City Council of its decision at a later date. Following which, the meeting was recessed at 10:25 P. M., subject to call of the Mayor. ATTEST: min CITY CLERK APPROVED Jom milla. MAYOR