Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-04-01
Village Taxation.
ran =DEAR SIR:


interest and Importance to us as taxpayers,
am induced TO pen few thoughts upon the
questions at issue, TO he considered by the vo.
tcrs of our village
wish to call your attention to the lavish
manner in which the financial matters of this
village have been managed during the past
three or four years, and see if there cannot be
change for the better, thereby saving to US,
in the future, the useless expenditure Of thous.
ands of dollars. You doubtless remember
the Governors remarks in his last annual
message to the Legislature of our State, upon
this very question, of small corporations in
the State increasing the taxes for local pur.
poses, to such degree that the amount to be
paid exceeded the whole vnue IF the proper.
ty TO be taxed, from two to three fold, in a
number OF cases, 10 which the Auditor of
State called his attention. He said this was
getting to be alarming throughout the State,
and called upon the Legislature TO take the
power of taxation out of the hands of local
Boards, and in 70 case, 10 allow them to levy
taxes without the consent-by vote-of the
taxpayers, who may be interested in the ex-
penditure of all monies 80 obtained. This is
wise proposition, and coming from the high.
est officer in the State, should be considered
worthy of consideration and We rs tax pay.
ers, it seems to me, ought to look into it, aud
so far as we can, ascertain whether the state.
ment of the Governor is in any degree appli-
cable to the management of our financial af.
fairs as an incorporated village. There has
been collected in the village and township of
Ashtabula, during the past three years the
large sum Of about 100000 and all of this
amount, with the exception Of small part,
has been paid by the tax payers of this vii
lage; and large proportion of the same has
been for local purposes. When we look at
this. and realize the amount of money that
has been paid into the village treasury, during
the pnSt three years, we naturally look about
us, TO see the fruit of this vast outlay, and are
desirons of knowing how and in what man
ner, this has been expended. Has it been ex-
pended properly and judiciously, for the i'm
provement OF our village, and in the best in.
tcrest of the tax payers, whose money it is
Or has it been expended to further private and
local interests, and fill the drawer of those
whose business it has been to handle so much
OF the peoples money?
The strangest part of this whole business,
during these past years, at no time has there
been "any money in the treasury" and those
who perform labor for the village must either
suspend work, or take their pay out "of the
store" During the summer Of 1868, there
was large sum of money expended in draw
ing gravel from the Fargo gravel bank put
ting the same upon our streets at an expense
of one dollar per load; and large proportion
OF this socalled gravel was nothing more
than common soil, which could have been OBJ
tanned within ten rods of the streets, at less
than one-fourth the cost. This soil never
ought to have been put on the roads, as any
one can see by looking at the condition in
which we find them this Spring. This soil
was put on the road by any one who wished
to draw it at one dollar load, and take their
pay "out of the store" as there was never
any "money in the treasurey." Why is it that
our business must be done on credit, when we,
the tax payers, have 10 walk up to the collect
ors Office and pay our taxes in money, Decem-
Der and June of each year? We all under
stand that contracts can be made and work
than it can on time, or if it is understood by
the contractors that they must take their pay
out of the store. We find all along during
these years, this same lavish expenditure Of
the peoples money, in divers ways, and at the
same time our affairs so represented that at no
time have we been able to pay our debts, and
had it not been for the so-called generous
nd pfc of hn nj tn
shell out their goods, and take the response
bility upon their shoulders, l have no idea
what would have become of us.
In looking back, ind a mammoth cistcru
built ut the cost of some thousand dollars,
which cisiern, for some reason or other, has
never been filled to any degree with water
AS il was built to hold water, why is it kept so
long with comparatively so little water in it ?
find also, upon time, two agents of the City
Fathers vending their way to Chicago, to buy
Il hose cart, at a cost of some $500, including
their own expenses. Why it took two to go
so far to make the purchase, which, under
stand, does not meet the requirements, the
Fathers have never exI lained; and had it
proved to be justthe thing the Firemen need
ed, and the money paid for it, been well laid
out, would never call your attention to it.
am making this, what intended to be a brief
article upon this fruitful subject, already too
long; yet cannot close without calling your
attention to the last and final expenditure of
the peoples money. The sewer built during
the past winter, at such an unreasonable time
of the year, and at such an eXpense--at u cost
OF, some to thousand dollars-runnng
from the church on Park ST. thence down Park
st. to the North Park opposite the Baptist
church thence angling across the Park 10
Main st. and down Main st. TO Scoville's AL
ley and thence along said alley to the wash
bank Why this sewer was run such dis
tance, after leaving the corner of the Park op-
posite the Baptist church, is more than l can
comprehend. Was it not to benefit local in
terests, and make available the opportunity to
so generously advance store goods, at time
when there WAS mo money in the treasury 2"
Look along our streets, and see the loads of
tile in all conditions, some good, much of it
worthless, all bought on credit,to be paid for at
some future time, with interest at per cent.