HomeMy WebLinkAbout00162 MINUTES OF REGULAR SESSION OF JULY 26/32 continued. (2)a
312
MINUTES OF REGULAR SESSION OF JULY 26/32 continued.
(ordinance continued)
trades, businesses, professions, private institutions of learning, auto trucks and amuse-
ments, within said city, to raise money to conduct the general business of the city, prb-
viding for a penalty for the violation thereof; and repealing all parts of ordinances in
conflict herewith.
Whereas, it duly appearing to the City Council that it has become necessary for the
economical interest and well being of said city and its citizens thereof, to license and
tax certain occupations, trades, businesses, professions, private institutions of learning,
auto trucks and amusements, to raise money to conduct the general business of said city, as
authorized by and in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 184, 1915 Session Laws of th
Legislature of the State of Washington, and all amendments thereto, as a revenue measure of
said city; Now, Therefore,
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND, STATE OF PiASHINGTON, DO ORDAIN AS FOL-
LOWS:
Section 1. The word !'Person" defined: The word "person" wherever used in this ordi-
nance shall be held and construed to mean and include natural persons of either sex, cor-
porations, companies, firms, co -partnerships, associations or organizations,'whether acting
by themselves, officers, agents, servants or employees. The singular number shall include
the plural and the masculine pronoun shall include the feminine.
Section 2. Partial Invalidity: If any section subsection; subdivision, sentence,
clause or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be unconstitutional, void or
invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of thin or-
dinance.
Section 3. The following named and described occupations, trades, busQnesees,pprdfes_
sions, private institutions of learning, auto trucks and amusements shall be required to
pay to the city, annually or per diem, the following license fees and tax, as revenue to
support and maintain the government of said city, to -wit:
Banks, Telegraph Stations, 'Telephone Stations, Electric Service Stations, Gas Service
Stations, Navigation Companies; at the rate of Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) per year.
Attorneys, canneries, clothing stores, contractors, construction companies, dairies,
dentists, doctors, docks, department stores, dry goods stores, drug stores, dry cleaners,
furniture stores, grocery stores, general merchandise stores, gas supplies stores, hardware
stores, haberdasheries, hotels, hospitals, ice cream factories, jeweler stores, laundries,
meat markets, fruit markets, fruit stores, mortuaries, milk dealers, machine shops, sheet
metal shops, notion stores, physicians, publishers, rooming houses, sanitariums, savings
and loan associations, shipwaysI shipyards, surgeons, wholesale gasoline and oil stations;
at the rate of Fifteen Dollars (415.00) per year.
Abstracters, architects, auto agencies, auto supply stores, auto camps, auto garages,
auto repair shops, auto gasoline stations, auto wreckers, apartment houses, blacksmith shop 1,
bakeries, bottling works, beauty shops, chiropodists, chiropractors, electrical stores or
shops, fish markets, fruit stands, florists, feed and grain stores, insurance agents, ice
j dealers, ice factories, lumber yards, music stores, novelty shops, nurseries, photograph
studios, public accountants, decorators, real estate agents, radio supply shops, radio Ser-
vice shops, shoe repair shops, shoe stores, wood dealers, vendor wagons; at the rate of Ten
Dollars ($10.00) per year.
Art and art supply stores, auto paint shops, barber shops, collages, sign writing Shop ,
kindergardens, lunch rooms, lunch counters, lunch wagons, tailor shops, teachers, milliner
shops, upholsterens shops; at the rate of Five Dollars ($5.00) per year.
Auto trucks, not for hire, making delivery of goods, wares and merchandise, at the fol
lowing rates: For each and every vehicle with a carrying capacity of one ton or less, $3.0 ;
over one ton and including two tons, $5.00; over two tons, $10.00 per year.
AM.USEMLNTS:
?ublic card rooms, $2.50 per table per year; each athletic exhibition, Five Dollars,
($5.00); circuses, One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per day; each sideshow in connection with
the circus, Ten Dollars ($10.00) per day; each carnival, an aggregation of two or more a-
musements or attractions, Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) per day; each sideshow in connection
with the carnival, Five Dollars ($5.00) per day; Ounces where admission is charged, Five
Dollars ($5.00) per dance; each dance given by a church or public school where admission is
charged the license may be waived by the proper authority of any church or public school by
filing a statement with the city clerk asking for such waiver of license fee, which must be
approved by the mayor, chief of police, and two members of the police, revenue and license
committee of the City Council, thereupon the city clerk shall issue a license charging the
sum of fifty cents (50d) for such issuance. The foregoing paragraph shall apply to all
athletic exhibitions or amusements given by any church or public school where an admission
is charged.
Where a person is engaged in two or more classifications of business enumerated in thl
ordinance, the highest license classification shall be assessed.
IThe city clerk shall make a report every six months, or upon request of the City Coun-
oil, for publication, a list of all licenses issued and she classifications thereof.
Section 4. That it shall be unlawful for any person, corporation, company, firm, co-
partnership, association or organization, or its or their officers, agents, servants,or am-
ployees, to do any of the things described and specified in this ordinance, without first
taking out a license so to do, as required and provided by the provisions of this ordinance
Section 5. That the annual period for a license herein specified and provided fon shal
�! begin on the 15th day of August and end on the 15th day of August of the following year;
provided, however, that a license may be issued for a six months period, to end on the 15th
day of February and the 15th day of August.
Section 6. That any person arrested and tried for the violation of this ordinance and
who makes the defense of doing intersate cor."nerce business or being exempt under the laws
of the State of Washington, the burden of proof shall rest upon such person to establish th
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313
LIINUTES OF REGULAR SESSION OF
(ordinance continued)
same by a preponderance of evidence submitted at the trial.
Section 7. All license fees shall be paid to the City Treasurer and a duplicate of th
receipt thereof shall be filed with the City Clerk before any license shall be issued.
Section 8. That all parts of ordinances now existing and in conflict with any of the
provisions of this ordinance be, and the same are hereby repealed.
Section 9. Any person, corporation, company, firm, co -partnership, association or or-
ganization, or any of its or their officers, agents, servants or employees violating any of
the provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of.a misdemeanor and upon convictio
shall be punished by a fine not exceeding One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), or by imprisonment
in the city jail for not more than thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Section 10. That this ordinance shall be published once in the Port Townsend Leader
and to take effect and be in force on the 15th day of August, 1932.
Passed by the City Council July 26th, 1932.
Approved by the mayor , 1932.
Attest:
Mayor
City Clerk.
Approved as to form
City Attorney.
Councilman Lafferty brought up the matter of employment of labor and asked the City At-
torney if the Mayor had the authority to designate who should be employed by the different
city departments. City Attorney Scott replied that there was no law delegating such author
ity to the Mayor. paaLr��:.
Opposed to employment of Maplethorpe.
It was then moved by Councilman Starrett and seconded by Councilman Miller that the
Chairman of the Street Committee inform Stroet Superintendent Pollard that the City Council
does not desire the employment of Wm. G. Maplethorpe and further that the Finance Committee
will not approve a claim for such employment. Upon roll call, all five Councilmen present
voted in the affirmative and motion was declared carried.
USE OF CITY EQUIPYENT. Not to be taken outside of City Limits.
Iri the matter of the use of equipment belonging.to the city, it was moved by Councilman
Starrett and seconded by Councilman Lafferty that the city Council go on record, requiring
that removal of city equipment without the city limits require permission of the City Coun-
cil so to do, and that the Mayor be furnished with a copy of this order. Motion declared
carried.
STATE14ENT OF POLICY, RE: LIOF.NSE ORDINANCE.
Reverting to order of business of "Communications" Councilman Starrett stated that the
Finance Committee had prepared a statement setting forth the reasons why theyLicense and Tax
ordinance just passed was considered necessary and for the best interests of the city and
moved that the said statement be inserted in the minutes as a matter of record. The motion
was seconded by Councilman Smith and upon a call for the question, was declared carried.
The following is a full, true, and correct copy of the said statement or communication,
to -wit:
Port Townsend, Washington, July 26th, 1932.
IITo the Honorable Mayor and City Council,
Port Townsend, Washington.
Gentlemen: -
Your Finance Committee herewith submits a public statement citing the urgent reason for
the immediate adoption of the business license ordinance.
It has been the unanimous sense of several informal council meetings that such a tax is
necessary to remedy the 1931 and 1932 current expense deficit. Nearly every city in the Uni
ted States faces such a situation. We have postponed action until the need is mandatory.
We realize the seriousness of increasing local tax burdens and hope to omit this tax
for 1933 by drastic cuts and savings, but feel that we must avoid putting current expense
warrants on an interest basis if possible.
Here are the primary causes of the estimated $4,000 current expense deficit for the
years 1931 and 1932:
a. Heavy extra payments on new city equipment, and unpaid taxes.
b. Failure to get State Highway Maintenance funds budgeted as estimated receipts, for
two years.
c. City revenue failures from estimated licenses, fines, etc.
We have already begun to meet the situation by:
a. Cutting approximately $1,500 from second -half salaries and wages. Cuts ranged from
10 to le per cent.
b. Vacation periods without pay. Dispense extra clerk hire.
c. Rigorous supply and operation economies in all departments.
d. Using all legal unexpended funds to fill deficit gap.
e. Secured voluntary co-operation of city elective officers reducing legal salaries for
the balance of 1932.
Other possible expedients include:
a. Special levy increase by city election for 1933