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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1883 | 1 |
| 1885 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 8 |
| 1893 | 17 |
| 1894 | 14 |
| 1895 | 13 |
| 1899 | 3 |
59 stories matching comptrol
- The Merchants’ Bank Fails to Save Itself
Stockholders fall short of the Comptroller’s demand, leaving Charles H. Baker to wind up the failed Seattle bank.
- Seattle’s Post-Fire Financial Reckoning
City Comptroller Carson pushes a new bond issue to cover infrastructure costs and fire-related municipal debts.
- Mayor Sweeney and Comptroller Carson Clash Over City Assessment
A legal battle erupts over whether the city comptroller or the county assessor has the power to prepare Seattle's tax rolls under a new state law.
- Seattle Cuts Its Own Payroll
Facing a tax shortfall, the council slashes salaries, drops clerks and accountants, and hands the comptroller power to police the city's licenses.
- Seattle’s Patronage Machine
A political showdown in the City Council over the appointment of a Comptroller highlights the era’s grip of 'boss' politics and the lack of oversight in municipal government.
- City Official Ambushses Editor
Deputy City Comptroller Andrew Blakistone strikes Erasus Brainerd from behind with a cane following criticisms of a municipal court investigation.
- The City Treasurer's Missing Millions
A Seattle property owner discovers his taxes were paid, but the money never reached the city treasury.
- The Comptroller Was Right: Seattle's Ex-Treasurer Pays Back $4,017
Willis R. Ames spent two years insisting the city's books were wrong. This week his bondsmen wrote the cheque — and the paper trail runs through a second treasurer who later absconded.
- The Day the City Council Abandoned Seattle for Cedar Lake
In a bizarre twist of municipal governance, Mayor Curry, Comptroller Parry, and Engineer Thompson fled downtown to inspect water pollution at Frankson’s Cedar Lake, leaving the city’s daily operations in limbo.
- The City Hall Salary Wars
Seattle's House of Delegates and the Board of Aldermen clash over deep budget cuts to city staff and police.
- The Bank Failed, but the Panic Didn't Come
When Merchants' National Bank closed in 1895, depositors lined up, then went home reassured. The real scramble was for the receiver's job.
- The Struggle to Streamline Seattle's Government
City Comptroller Carson argues for dismantling the commission system to consolidate power, clashing with traditional checks and balances.
- Seattle's 1894 Budget Crisis: $89,787 Short and Cutting the Police
A comptroller's statement exposed a looming deficit, the council created a retrenchment committee, and eight patrolmen were dropped from the force—over the mayor's personal objection.
- The Political Feud Over a City Comptroller
A power struggle in Seattle's city government reaches a fever pitch as five aldermen defy Mayor Ronald's appointment of J. M. Carson, setting off a storm of allegations and local partisan warfare.
- The Price of a Circus: Seattle Council Fights Over 'Rubbing It All' for Big Top
In 1903, the City Council clashed over licensing fees for Ringling Bros., with one councilman arguing that theatrical companies already take enough money from the public.
- A Screaming Farce at Pioneer Square
Proponents and opponents of a Seattle bond issue clash in a volatile open-air debate that devolves into name-calling and public disruption.
- The Struggle for a Collapsing Bank
A legal power struggle unfolds between the Washington National Bank of Tacoma and federal regulators.
- A Constitutional Challenge to City Plumbing Laws
A local plumber has been arrested for violating a new city ordinance requiring all practitioners to pass a formal examination.
- The City Moves to Regulate Plumbing
A new city ordinance establishes a Board of Examiners to license plumbers, aiming to crack down on substandard work in Seattle.
- The Battle for the Mayor’s Office
Gambling syndicates attempt to oust Mayor J.T. Ronald after he refuses to legalize or ignore their operations in Seattle.
- City Council Passes 1893 Tax Levy Amid Financial Strain
Seattle's municipal government sets the millage rate while reporting over $2.5 million in bonded debt.
- City Hall Under Siege
Mayor Ronald is coerced by a stormy aldermanic caucus into appointing J. M. Wolfe to the Board of Public Works.
- The City Hall Corruption Scandal Deepens
Prominent businessmen are arrested as the city chases missing funds and a key fugitive.
- The Great Seattle Bonding Debate
City Hall hosts a fiery town hall where residents and officials clash over debt, taxation, and the future of municipal infrastructure.
- The Great City Treasury Mystery
A skeptical newspaper accuses the Seattle city government of diverting public funds meant for the Lake Union sewer tunnel into private speculations.