Laserfiche WebLink
<br />')G:' <br />,,{.,JO~ <br /> <br />TUESDAY <br /> <br />JANUARY 9, 1968 <br /> <br />On January 4, 1968, the Board of Directors of the Retail Merchants <br />Association voted unanimously to protest this ordinance and request your <br />consideration in rescinding this action for the following reasons: <br /> <br />1. Although announced as a public facility, this contemplated <br />library will actually be used by attorneys and members of the <br />judicial system who comprise a very small segment of the public. <br /> <br />2. The expense of the law library will be assessed, preponderantly, <br />against business and professional people who obtain judgments <br />and execute garnishees to secure payment of relatively small <br />sums. <br /> <br />3. In many cases, judgments are not paid and the initiator of <br />such action has to absorb all costs involved in the action. <br />The $1.00 assessment will increase this loss. <br /> <br />4. If a judgment and subsequent garnishee is paid by the debtor, <br />the library costs will be assessed against those people who are <br />least able to afford any additional expense. <br /> <br />5. We feel it is unfair for a small segment of our community to be <br />assessed monies to be used for a substantially smaller group. <br /> <br />6. We feel this c.ction is inimical to the interest of the business <br />and professional community. <br /> <br />We enthusiastically endorse any project and program which induces the <br />growth, aids the progress and enhances the prestige of our fine City. We <br />are for the establishing of a first class library for the use of those <br />involved in the judicial system and any benefits which might accrue to <br />our citizens thru its use. <br /> <br />We are opposed to the method by which funds are to be secured for <br />this project. If this facility will benefit the entire community, we <br />suggest, as an alternative to the civil action assessment, that the city's <br />expense of the law library become a budgetary item for the city. <br /> <br />Representing the Merchants Association were Mr. Thomas O. Pugh (its Executive <br /> <br />Vice-President_ and Mr. Thomas Leath (of Townes Furniture, Inc.), both of whom <br /> <br />supported the protest filed and for the reasons therein. Mr. William B. Muse, <br /> <br />local realtor (of Williams & Muse), also spoke in opposition to the ordinance, <br /> <br />illustrating the manner in which the ordinance would adversely affect the living <br /> <br />costs amont certain income groups. In support of the ordinance, Mr. Jackson L. <br /> <br />Kiser, Attorney at Law and member of the local Bar Association, provided "back- <br /> <br />ground" information on the General Assembly's concept in enacting permissive <br />