Blanks v. City of Monroe

Citations

• 110 La. 944
• 34 So. 921
• 1903 La. LEXIS 728

Syllabus

<p>MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS — CONTRACTS—VALIDITY — TAXATION—LIGHT AND WATER.</p> <p>1. Contracts whereby municipal corporations make provision in advance for such prime necessities as light and water, and incur obligations therefor, to be met from time to time (as those necessities are furnished) from current revenues, do not fall within the restrictive operation oí R. S. 1876, § 2448, which prohibits such corporations from contracting debts, without providing, in the ordinances by which they are contracted, for their payment.</p> <p>2. So far as shown in this case, there is no special statutory limitation upon the power of the city of Monroe, with respect to the making of contracts for light and water, which renders necessary a stipulation for or the voting of a special tax, and the fact that such tax was agreed .on and voted, for 10 years, in aid of contracts extending over a period of nearly 30 years, does not of itself affect the validity of such contracts quoad the period beyond which the tax was levied, nor does the language of the contracts which are here sued on require such an interpretation. To the extent that the tax is inadequate for that purpose, the obligations of the city must be met in some other way.</p> <p>(Syllabus by the Court.l</p>