Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-12-24

n NOIlCE appears III thc last oo1Csec3
W N isintended toinform the taxpayers
interested that the committee appointed
to apportion the tax necessary for the
Icoustruction' OF the pike from the Ma
tional Road near the Infirmary to the
town of Flushing, has made a report,
and that the Commissioners win hear
ANY complaints, in regard to the same
on the 7th day Of January, at their Office.
As about two-thirds Of the taxpayers
interested are Republicans and are not
likely to see the Auditors notice, we
have given the substance of it 50 that
they may not be taken by surprise, and
if this assessment is made like the assess
inent on the st. Claissville and New
Athens Pike was, we advise them to be
looking into it, or some Of them will be
jwofuify swindled.
Our main purpose, however, is to call
attention to the insuf1iciency of the
notice, in contemplation of law. The
law provides that, When the report of
said committee shall be returned, the
County Auditor shall give notice of it by
publication in some newspaper publish
ed and of general circulation in said
county ,vand shall also give notice for at
least three consecutive weeks ofthe time
when the Commissioners will meet at
the County Auditors Office to hear the
same" rf.ssf
sFhe ' Auditor shall give notice of il"
of what? The report, or the return of
the report? clearly the report. And
this construction is clearly sustained by
the language following: "And shall
also give notice for ut least three con-
seeutive weeks of the time when the
Commissioners will meet at tile County
Auditors Office to hear the sdme."-
What are the Commissioners to hear?
Why. the report. of course ~of which the
Auditor is required to give notice.
Two notices are required to he given,
one of the report and the other of the
time when the report will lie heard
What is q notice Of the reports 1t is
certainly such Q description Of it as will
give clear conception Of its contents.-l
What is the object in giving notice of its
Why not just notify the taxpayers Of the
meeting to hear eomplainants? The
Legislature intended to let the taxpayers
see the report, and by comparing the as
determine whether they had
any complaints to make. But, saws
Danpv yV;ua apd Do,nd E,o1;.l 49,
taxpayers can cal at the Auditors Office
and examine the report. 1t would cost,
perhaps, a hundred dollars TO publish
the report and each taxpayer could
then at his leisure examine it and COM
pare his assessment with the assessment
of his neighbours property, and deter
mine whether he had any cause of COM
plsint. If he had cause of complaint he
coul,l attend the meeting of the Com
if he hadn't, he could stay
at home. Unless the report is published,
each of the five hundred taxpayers must
make trip, of from five TO twelve miles.
to st. ClairsyDleto examine the report.
or employ an attorney to examine it for
them, before he can tell whether he has
any cause of complaint. Either would
cost him far more than his share of the
cost of the publication, and be much less
|
The law clearly contemplates pub
fishing Of the report, and we doubt
whether the collection of the tax could
he enforced, il the report is not publish
ed, The law guards with jealous care
ti,e rights OF the taxpayer, and neither I
he Treasurer of thsr state, nor eisefs
Treasurer OF the coanty, nor the Treas
nrer of township is allowed to collect a
dollar of tax for any purpose, until he
has published the rate of taxation for
each specific purpose for which he
collects. This amounts to pub .
ication of the amount of tax assess
ID against each taxpayer for he can easily
it as he knows the value Of his a
property. We apprehend that an irregu-
ar assessment, like that for building |,
pixies, wasaiot Intended by the iLegisia-
Iure to be carried Oh in the dark, but, o.,
the principal of all other assessment, was !;
to be made public, so that each taxpayer [.
might know just Is hat he had to pay.
The report on the Bellaire and Wegee
Pike was published, and the people had
An opportunity TO see and correct the !
many glaring errors that existed in it-ls5
and errors cannot be avoided in any of
these assessments-and the people are !.
now better satisfied with the assessment h
IN that road than on either of the Others.
= We Say to the Commissioners and
AuditOr-and we but express what we !
lave heard many others say-if you de- y
lire to avoid complaint and censure, you c
,ad better publish the report on all these r
hike cases, and let the people see, before
time, just what they have to r
,ay. This is the course pursued by the v
in all the counties in
which they are Building pixies. SO far as g
We have observed. e
The ST. GAINESVILLE HUNTERS RE- q
ID. d. T. Cowen Ross n
I. Alexander. Charles H. Arick, R. NJ. q
lark anu ID. Mcneil, who have been a