The Key West Citizen

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN LETTER ADDRESSED TO COUNCIL COVERING PROCEEDINGS

Following is the copy of a letter under date of January 4, over the signature of Henry H. Taylor, Jr., special counsel for the City of Key West, addressed to the Council of Key West, advising of the status of bond litigation affecting the city:

"When I was appointed special counsel for the City of Key West, peremptory writs of mandamus had been issued against the city requiring tax levies in one year in favor of the following parties and in the following amounts:

"American United Life Insurance Co., $10,864.98; court costs, $22.06; John E. Morris, $10,915: John S. Jenkins. $3,732.65. with court costs of $22.06.

"The American United Life Insurance Co. claim and the John E. Morris claim do not have to be included in this year's budget, for the reason that both writs of mandamus have been stayed by the respective courts in which these suits were pending. I was unable to set aside. or stay, the peremptory writ in favor of John S. Jenkins, which had been issued prior to my appearance in this litigation. It will be necessary to levy sufficient millage to satisfy this writ.

"With the aggregate value of the real estate assessments totaling $3,751.410 and the personal property assessed at $500,950, a one-mill levy would be ample to satisfy this writ.

"On October 30, 1935, a peremptory writ was issued in favor of L. P. Chalmers requiring the city to satisfy this claim by the end of the fiscal year 1937-38, to pay in full that claim. This was not done and there is a balance due and unpaid on that writ as of November 14, 1938, in the sum of $3,170.97. It will be necessary to levy for this item, One mill on the value of the basis of the valuation set forth in the foregoing would likewise be ample to satisfy this claim.

"This does not include the levy on the bond refunding contract to service the refunding bonds.

"I recommend that the budget be prepared, adopted and the levy made with all due dispatch in order that in the event of additional litigation the bond creditors so litigating would be compelled to await the 1940-41 budget"