, 1872-12-18
COUNTY. MATTERS.
Meeting Of The COMMISSIONERS
Another Opportunity Given
Bidders,
Communication from ]. P. Root On the
Subject Of Revising the "
Revenue Law.
How to Facilitate the Collection
Of the Taxes. =

nON 10 TACAAtt1tV txAO CoACCe1OAA
Of the Taxes. =.
The County Commissioners met yesterday
President Miller in the chair, and present, Com
missoners Bogue, Clough, Harrison, Herting,
Jones, Lonergan, Pahlman, Harris, Russell,
Singer, and Crawford. Tho minutes were ap-
proved. The special order was
TIE OPENING OF BIDS
Mr. Harrison said tho bids wero not ad7er-
tised five, days as the regulation Of the Board
required. He moved that the Clerk be in
etructod to advertise for fire days, that the bids
bo not opened until five days after tho publiea-
ton of the last advertisement, and that the bids
already in be withdrawn. The motion pre-
vailed.
TIE REVENUE Law.
The County Attorney submitted the follow
ing:
As the Revenue law is the only means afforded the
county Tor collecting its revenue it becomes
ant for the Board to consider such changes in the law
as will facilitate the collection Of the taxes with tha
view Of having such changes made. While the act
passed at the last session may be adequate In most Of
the counties in the State it Is open to many objcc.
tions when applied to o county with population OF
4oo, 900.
TIE MODE OF EXTENDING TEE COUNTY TAX.
The old Law provided that the State tax should be
tended the equalization made by the State Board
,
Board The lew ,o,o provides that alt taxes ehal1 be
extended the State Equalization. The result Of this
is that # the county should desire to increase It's reve-
the State tax will be Increased in the pGoportion
thus compelling tho county to pay the State premium
discover no good reason Why the local taxes should be
measure OF our obligations to the state There aro
only three modes provided for rnising county
TirsA to. Of IL mills On tho dollar On the assessed
erostsr saz nay be imposed When authorized by vote
Of tho people.
Second borroT1ng money; but IN th:s case
there is limit in the Constitution to per Cent on
and when the Indebtedness Is incurred, provision
must be made out Of tho above tax to pay the inter-
est and proa9 snng fund which vi" pay the
TAiTl-A tux, without limit as to amount, for the
purpose Of paying indebtedness, existing at the time
however, cannos be diverted to any other purpose.
The new Constitution Is adapted to county out Of
debt. 9Th its public buildings completed, but its
public buildings nre ell destroyed. II, then, the
lew can be 80 changed that the. The eoun-
ing the sate 100 per cent for the privilege and pro
sions made for the machinery Of an election at which
the question Of gFfer tax can oe to
public buildings No law now exists whereby the Com
stitutional provision in regard vote Of the people
can be carried out.
COUNTY ASSESSOR Or TAX COMMISSIONERS.
cooi the .os Ills
five Volumes record sze In the preparation Of these
books the greatest carols Subdivisions be-
by railroads and diagonal streets, end to obtain and
continue the descriptions correctly requires great sl
possb!o @ o arTe At ACCURACY TIara Is no Central
office where the Town Assessor consult maps md
plats. The clerk Is in the habit Of copying the lists
from the old GRts, and mistakes run through
series Of years. When objection is made to judgment
on account Of erroneous description there is no one
the next years list In 1870 Of the outside towns
In this county lost $4,000 By reason Of imperfect
descriptions.
There are in the County of Cook thir.y-two Town
Assessora each acting On his own construction Of the
law SO that In the various towns there no unfor
of their work. Many Of them return their books
thousands Of dollars out Of balance The lazy provides
Board and have errors corrected. Ono day is not
enough, and tho result is the County Board havo
M s e1a o1 IN OF ee I
the time occupied by the Board and its Committed IN
doing the work. Besides the Board is not always ad
to do injustice to- some, and in otheE
these difficulties Tax Commissioner or County As
Eessor should be appointed with the general
supervision Of the assessment and the correetness Of
description. The Town Assessors may return their
books to him not footed md then 80 days time should
be given within which tho public hare corrections
and laid before the County Board for equalization.
Then tho tax is extended on the corrected list and
tHouSdQQA OF C0Ilaf3 saved 10 Inc county. lAG lex
Commissioner should be provided with nccurate maps
showing the character Of ell improvements The
Town Assessors very often improvements when
In fact there are none And there Is now no uniform
principle Of action among the Assessors.
EXTENDING THE THE FOR AssEssMEETs AND col
LECT1oSs.
It is impossible for the Assessors and Collectors to
perform the duties under the law within the time fixed
By the Revenue law. The County Board should DO
vested with authority to fix the times and dates with
in certain limits 1or tho doing Of any act necessary
the collection Of taxes. Contingencies sometimes |
arise which render it almost imperative that time
should bo extended.
There Is much friction in tho law in other respects
and many defects which tend to delay the collection Of
taxes. |
For example: After an appeal from tho Judgment
Of the County Court the Court should bo authorized
expressly to order the sale Of tho property. / /
think this is the Law nov, but it is ooted ques-
lion.
Again. where parties fail to pay their personal tax
The people should have tho right to bring suit di-
rectly for its collection after the warrant has been
turned.
JURORS FEES IN CASE OF 1sQCEsrs,
Jurors in civil and criminal cases in this county
not entitled to any per diem The Fec and Salary law
however, gives jurors In Of inquest 81 for each
lees IN each case in this county will amount to large
would respectfully ask tha: this communication be
Eeferred to the Joint Committee on Finance and
Equalization Of Taxes.
It was 80 referred.
BRIDGE At JEFFERSON.
'The Town Of Jefferson pledged the good
feelings OF their people" if the Board would ap-
propriate 81, 900 towards building an iron bridge
aver the North Branch Of the Chicago River at
Clybourno avenue, the total cost being 81, ,070.
Referred to the Committee ON Roads and
Bridges.
DIETING PRISONERS.
The Committee on Finance to which wns re-
erred the bill of Sheriff Bradley for dieting the
prisoners prior to September, 1872, amounting
q 81, $4,000, concurred with tile Committee on
|ail and Jail Accounts, to which the bill had been
'reviouely submitted, in recommending the
payment OF tho bill.
The bill Tas ordered to be paid.
STATE AND COUNTY TAXES.
Mr. ClouGh moved that an advertisement be
,uollshod IN the morning papers setting forth
hat the State and county taxes were due and
hat the warrants for the Same were in the pos
ession Of the Collectors in Hyde Park, Lake,
cicero: Eyanston, Lake View, and the three
owns in Chicago. Adopted.
Mr. Harrison moved that the question whether !
he new County Clerk was entitled to fees or
hould be paid salary DO referred to tho Judi
iary Committee. The motion prevailed
Adjourned until Monday,