Trimming the budget fat, circa 1931

JERRY PERSON

Council cuts this year’s budget as drastic reductions in city

operating expenses are needed for the ensuing year. All departments

are required to cut their budget to meet decreasing revenue.

Does this sound familiar or what?

I think you and I have had to budget our money at some point, and

our city is no exception. Many of our residents have seen their

culturally rich programs canceled in favor of some developer’s new

project.

But in the city’s defense, I must say that budget-cutting is

nothing new, as we shall see this week.

It was back in 1931, and the country was just beginning the Great

Depression, and our city had to tighten its belts too. It was that

year that the county decreased the assessed valuation on property in

our city, and that meant a decrease in city income from taxes.

So it was on Aug. 10, 1931 that the City Council, sitting as a

board of equalization, hoped to pacify a group of landowners. Letters

had been given to the city by these taxpayers to protest the higher

assessment of their property.

One of these tax protesters was Flossie Shank, who wrote to the

board that they had assessed her property at the same amount as the

property could be sold for.

Ben Schwartz of Long Beach wrote that he too believed his property

assessment of $2,000 for one piece of property and $810 for his other lot was way too much.

Jessie Cavanaugh sent the board a letter from her home in Los

Angeles stating that the assessment of $1,350 on her Main Street

property was too high.

Coming down to face the board was Mrs. Jack McDonough to tell them

they were wrong in assessing her two lots on Main Street at $1,350

each was excessive and that she would be willing to sell both lots

for $2,000.

City Assessor Charles Furr told the board that McDonough’s

property had been reduced from $1,600 in 1926 to $1,350 in 1931. Furr

pointed out to the board that property in the city, as well as the

state and the nation, was too high for its present value and that a

reduction on all city property would mean a loss of revenue to the

city.

In 1928, the assessment valuation of the city of Huntington Beach

had been $18 million, but by 1931, it had been reduced to a low of $9

million, with a loss to the city of $145,000. Part of this reduction

came from loss of oil land value.

The board adjourned, only to convene later that day and denied the

four applications for tax relief. So what else is new!

The City Council convened its regular meeting. Furr told the

council that the heads of all city departments have made deep cuts to

their budgets.

Street Supt. Henry Wirth, Assistant Engineer Harry Overmyer,

Police Chief Charles Stewart, Fire Chief Jack Sargent, City Judge

Charles Patton and the city’s library board had all cooperated in

slicing their budgets.

One item that the council voted on was the abolishment of the

office of municipal musical director. For several years, James Son

held that office and, under his leadership, brought fame to the

city’s municipal band.

Another item in the city’s budget that the council felt necessary

was an allowance of $2,000 for the purchase of a new car for use as

an emergency life-saving vehicle by the Fire Department.

Councilman Ed Stevens suggested that the city offer a reward for

information on those individuals who vandalize city property. There

had been considerable damage to city property, and Stevens believed a

reward would curtail vandalism in the city.

But City Atty. Lew Blodgett pointed out that the city could not

legally pay a reward.

Then-Mayor Elson Conrad felt that the duty of the council was to

eliminate every item not absolutely necessary to the conduct of city

business.

I’m sure my friend, former mayor Don MacAllister, would certainly

agree to that statement. He has told me several times that our city

must be run as a business.

This November, Don is running for director of District 4 on the

county’s water board that covers Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa.

So you have seen that budget cuts are nothing new and are

necessary to a well-run city government.

Right, Don?

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.