Show W WARM AR A DEBATE IN CITY BOARD OVER EXPENSE o OF F ENGINEER Brown Challenges es Pery to Fire Him in in Bud Bud- Budget Budget get Rumpus RECORD DEFENDED Board Declines to Slash Engineers Engineer's Depart Depart- Department Department ment Further Ogden city's tax levy y will 1 be set tomorrow v at exactly the same sam fig fig- figure figure figure ure as that of last year according to Mayor Major Browning Brownings announce announce- announcement ment meat today at the city commis commis- commission commission commission sion session We Ve have made sufficient re reductions re- re reductions reductions by savings 53 In various de departments de- de departments departments so we can give this as assurance u- u he declared The tax question came bere be Jre the commission Informally Mon Ion Monday day afternoon the budget being considered once more by Mayor Browning Commissioner Perry Peery and Commissioner Demanding a slashing of the city engineers engineer's force as one step toward tax reduction In Ogden Commission COmmission- Commissioner er cc Harman Peery debated this morn morn- momIn morning Ins ing In with Mayor Maor Browning Iro Commis Commis- Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Flygare FIgare and City City Engineer Brown on their contention that the city engineers engineer's office was now being maintained with a a. minimum force to provide adequate public service Commissioner Peery declared In a report submitted at the regular com corn commission commission mission session that the force ought to be cut two or three persons there now being a monthly payroll of 1620 In the office That this cut Is necessary necessary sary because of the general demand for tax reduction was stated ted by the commissioner After the debate the commission decided against any further reduction reduction tion lion in the engineer department You dont don't understand the work that Is being done there said City Engineer Brown Dro when Commissioner Peery spoke in support of his report EAGER TO FIRE nR I 1 certainly do understand I know Inow there are too many there when the work Is considered the commissioner retorted But Dut there arc are not too many em em- responded respond d the engineer You Thu could go out In the tbs field do some of the work yourself was the retort from Commissioner Peery You want to fire me declared City Engineer Brown Drown to which the commissioner replied I 1 sure If I had my way During the debate the commission commission- commissioner er or J If I you OU have the right kind of men In the city engineers engineer's of office of- of lIce fice we could make this saving anc and the engineer replied We have the right kind of men Requested by Mayor Drowning Browning to explain the duties of each of the engineers engineer's office City Engineer Brown Drown told In detail the assignments that he had made declaring that tha we arc are busy all the time I want to cut the budget some more said Commissioner Peery when the explanation had been made CHALLENGE ISSUED If I you dont don't leave the budget as it stands Just fire me replied the engineer Mayor Browning Drowning said that as far faras faras faras as the engineer Is concerned I dont don't know of anyone who has done more or better work than he has lisa hasI I dont don't see where any change can be made I 2 am cm not fool enough to jump In on something that would be a failure But Dut the engineers engineer's office has been taken out of my hands and yet Im I'm held responsible rE for its cost said Commissioner Peery Oh tho the cost of the engineers engineer's of of- of office office fice doesn't come out of your our budget I said Commissioner Flygare But the expense will come out o of the taxpayers retorted Commissioner Peery I came In office on a prom prom- promise promIse promise ise tp t fight for tax reduction and Im I'm going to fight for it RECORD COMMENDED CO Well I 1 think weve we've done wonder wonder- wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully fully well considering what weve we've done in the line of public Improvement and paying debts said the mayor and were we're not going to raise taxes And well we'll not be in the red either at atthe atthe atthe the end of the year ar While Commissioner Peery leery contin contin- continued continued his contention that City Engineer Brown want to cut down ex expenses ex- ex expenses Mayor Browning DrownIng said that It would be suicidal to make any further reduction reductionS Finally on a motion by Commission Commission- Commissioner er cr his report was filed lied after adopt adopt- adopting adopting ing a recommendation that extra pay be given Jessup building Inspector I for overtime work done on sewer maintenance Just as this motion was being put the question as to whether street de department de- de department department men employed on the same work nad naci been paid overtime came up Commissioner Peery having said he did not nt favor or paying overtime to any any- one That payment had been made to some of ot these men working on day- day labor scale was shown sho the mayor turning to Commissioner Peery and advising him to stick sUck to the truth That he was sticking to the truth was the final lInal statement of the commis commissioner S- S as the roll roU was being called Commissioner Flygare voted for filing the report and against the report dis disallowing dis- dis disallowing allowing the Jessup claim Mayor Drowning Browning and Commissioner Peery pecry pe ry voted for the Peery Pecry resolution simply filing flUng the entire recommendation and disallowing the Jessup claim |