The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1857-09-26
To tao Citizens Of Cedar Caunty.

Being elected by you to the Office OF
County Judge, and, as such officer, hav-
ing control Of the business and financial
matters of the County, deem it duty
to you, and one that l owe to myself, to
lay before you succinct and approx
mate view of the situation of the affairs
Of the County, and its prospective re-
quirements for the present fiscal year, l
do this at the commencement of my Off
cial term, not merely that you may un-
derstand the situation in which | am
placed, but because l believe you have a
right to know whether the business Of
the County is conducted in proper
manner, and that You may be able to
judge for yourselves whether the officers
you place in charge are fulfilling tbs
trust you reposo in them in such man
ner as will conduce to the best interests
of the County.
Previous to my being placed in office,
the matter of building new Court House
was decided, and the contracts let The
estimated cost of the building is, | be-
lieve, about $50 900, and it is to be COM
pleted in three years. Six thousand
dollars, in County warrants, was adj
vanced to the contractors, aud they are
entitled to draw $4,000 more during the
present fiscal year, as the work advances.
Whether, under the present stcte Of af
fairs, this was wise or an unwise mea-
sure, is not for me to decide / can
only say that the County is party to
these contracts, and cannot now avoid
the fuliilment of the stipulations therein
contained.
The present Indebtedness of the Coun-
ty is perhaps larger than has been ina
gined, although it cannot be considered
as being rcry large. BY reference to
the annual report of the County Judge,
made on the 9th day of July, AID. 1857,
find that the unpaid warrants, at that
time, amounted to 1921 So. Since
that time, and previous to August 10Th,
the term at which | took charge Of the
office, the amount issued was about
S9,425, and since that date | have au-
dited claims and issued warrants to the
amount of 1862, making an aggregate of
Sl2,20S JS. OF these sums, $4,000 are
an advanc. upon the contracts for build
ing a new Court House, and of the re-
mainder, part are issues on Jail contracts,
and for building Court House fence, and
part for ordinary County expenses. Be
sides these are still some unad justcd
claims, the amount of which | DO not
know. There is also a delinquency of
1854 On the tax list of 1896, which per-
haps will be sufficient to meet these un-
audited claims
The wants Of the County for the pre-
sent fiscal year will require a sum Of at
least $4,000, $50, 900 to meet liabili-
49,; -. .....'..o g.. l,:,y:..- a..
oau C,nu, u.n.o a. - ooo e.. A.
ordinary County expenses, making, with
the present Indebtedness, an aggregate
sum Of SIS pos To ra;se th;. snu will
rno,;ro . ,ax Cor Con,.r nrr.oa g
81. ,-;,ls q, tho doI,.r IS ,ho con,,.
valuation
Tn ada;,;., 70 .,;s :. ,ho o,.;. IS
aho,. Sc ooo ;o.oros. ~ naru,as,
o., y ~,
tho ,u.o...u,. -. oo., 49,
,o.- -. -, ., =, -
~ 800 90
''"''>'' y '"'
VI '"' 'A''''''" against Tue
''o"'S' III the case vi 'he l'a'ifoaa
i'o""S' recently decided TO Si,-S 81,
which, deducted IRON the claim Of So,
ooo' "'"'d leave a balance OF si,'2O 81,
ana which, II the County is compelled to
pay, Will require tax Of over one mill
on the dollar. The attorneys of the
County, to whose charge the case already
decided was committed, are of opinion
that the payment Of this claim NAV vet
be avoided. If it should apnear that
there is fair probability If res;st;no