Hazeltine v. Blake

Citations

• 26 Wash. 231
• 66 P. 394
• 1901 Wash. LEXIS 633

Syllabus

<p>MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS-INDEBTEDNESS-CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATION ■ — ■ INTERPRETATION.</p> <p>Under art. 8, § 6, of the constitution, which prohibits a city from becoming indebted in any manner to an amount exceeding 1% per centum of its taxable property as shown by its last assessment for city purposes, without the assent of three-fifths of the voters therein voting at an election to be held for that purpose, and not to exceed 5 per centum in all, even where such assent is obtained, the indebtedness which a city is thus authorized to incur falls into two classes — the first comprising that which may be incurred without a vote up to 1% per centum of its taxable property, and the second that which may be incurred by vote in excess of 1% per centum and up to 5 per centum of its taxable property; consequently where a city has authorized a debt of the second class, no portion of such debt can be taken into account in computing the amount of indebtedness under the first class, unless it.clearly appears that it was the intent of the city, at the time of authorizing indebtedness in excess of the IY2 per centum limitation, to have some portion of such authorized indebtedness charged against the first class of indebtedness.</p>