The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1871-04-01
County Affairs.

I
Board &c Supervisors of this county. From
the showing made. tie people will have the
satisfaction Of learning thatour financial condi-
tion has been materially improved during the
year. 1hecurrent expenses as reported for the
year ending March 1870, were.S35. lS3 SO ::
whi'e those Of the year ending March 1871.
we're only sol $50 -. reduction Of SIS
% IS or more than one third This large
decrease is owing n tie fact Of changing the
compensation Of several Of tie equity otssers
from salaries 10 fees. and the operation Of the
law Of the last Legislature. known as the
Rodgers nll. by which all running exrens-
IS Shall be paid and which virtually prohibits
the creation Of any nes Indebtedness. Du-
ring the past vearthe county has been furnish
ed hat was needed al as laS rate as cash
would procure it. There was no paving Of
double price for supplies as in the year be-
fore, which has had visible effect in de
creasng expenses. and no additional deb;
has been made. The total receipts for the
year have fallen of from $50. $50 ST to So
Isl 43, being : decrease If Sc, 60 Il, which
results from the change made by giving the
ices to the officers which were previously
paid into the treasury and amounted in the
report of the year 1870 to The sum Of Sc ,S94,-
81, showing that the actual revenue was a
trifle larger for the year ending in ISL than
that endiag.in 1870. The total Indebtedness
according TO the report Of 1870 was Sli2.-
los G5. og which 500 426 so was principal
and Sl5. 900 Is interest due thereon, by the
reports of 1871 we find the principal of our IN
debtedness has been reduced to SD. 1872 33
and the interest to Sos. 934 IS, making the
gross debt amount to SllI,l29 08 with assets
amounting to $l5.29l %, applicable to its
payment. The total liabilities over assets re-
ported March 1870, were $500, 3G2 40; the
report of 1871, fixes them at S95. $50 50, ma
king an actual reduction Of 500, 525 O. Of our
Indebtedness during the year.
With the same economical administration
on the part of our Supervisors, and strict
enforcement of collections, there can be no
reason Why our present debt cannot be paid
off in four years. There is cause for congrat-
ulation that the beginning of an end to our
financial embarrassment has commenced. The
taxation for the past year was 81 561 on the
500 valuation, the levy for thisyear has seen
fixed ASA 80. The amount derived from as
sessed taxes it is anticipated will reach that
Of last year, also that there is reason to hope
for an increased assessment roll. The rules
preseated by the State Board Of Equalization
for TIE Assessor, will have a tendency to not
only increase values in the connty but will
cause better assessment TO b. made than
formerly, causing IA reduction from the
amounts that have heretofore gone dalin-
quent and been los: through informalities of
Assessors. Our taxes are very high but we
feel confident that the taxpayers will be
willing to pay them, and DO so cheesfulIy
when by so doing they see tie debt melting
away at the rate Of over S26, coo co a years
There is no ether way ofrelieving the coun,
ty from It's burden except bv high rate for
short time When the debt is reduced to
such reasonable amount that it can be car
ried With ease, then our taxes will be reduced
to sum barely sufficient to meet the actual
expenses Of the county government. The
larger the assessment roll the sooner we will
reach that condition. If a fair and correct
list is given the Assessor and all property in
the county equitab.y valued aud returned we
can look for lower. taxes from this time for
ward. Now that our debt is rapidly decreas-
ing every tax payer for his own individual in
terest should help keep it in its downward
track by paying an honest proportion for that
purpose.