Raff v. Philadelphia

Citations

• 256 Pa. 312
• 100 A. 815
• 1917 Pa. LEXIS 606

Syllabus

<p>Municipalities — Indebtedness—Increase—Purposes of increase— Elections — Notices.</p> <p>1. The words of the notice of an election on the question of the increase of a municipal indebtedness are to be understood by the electors in their popular, natural and ordinary meaning.</p> <p>2. Where the municipal authorities, in ordinances and notices of an election to be held upon the question whether municipal indebtedness shall he increased, state as one of the items of increase certain sums to be used for the erection of a public building, and the ballot also so states, the municipality may not thereafter erect such building at a cost greater than that stated in the ordinances and notices of election and on the ballots.</p> <p>3. Where, in such case, the municipal authorities after the approval of the loan and of the items referred to in the ordinances, notices and statements on the ballots, undertook to erect a convention hall at a cost of $700,000 in excess of the cost stated in the notices for the election, the Supreme Court assumed original jurisdiction of a bill in equity brought by a taxpayer to restrain the city from erecting the hall at a cost greater than that contemplated at the election, and awarded the relief prayed for.</p> <p>Potter, Moschzisker and Walling, JJ., dissent.</p>