Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-05-18
Collection OF Taxes.

The Committee on Revision of Ordinances
reported the following ordinance to the city
council few weeks ago; it was passed to be
enrolled by the Board of Aldermen, but was
then tabled for two weeks by the common
council:
AN ORDINAScE CoScERSING THE CoLLECroR
OF TAXES.
Be 1t ordained by the City Council ofthe City
Of augusta, as follCirS;
Section |. The collector oftaxes shall give
bond with good and sufficient sureties, to be
approved by the Mayor and Aldermen, for the
prompt and faithful performance of the duties
of his office, according to the laws of the State
and the provisions Of this ordinance: said
bond not to be less than twenty thousand dol
lars, and for such other sum as the city coun-
Gil shall direct But when the collector is
also treasurer his bond as collector may be
fifteen thousand dollars.
Section 2. The collector shall proceed
without delay to collect all taxes duly COM
nitted to him by the assessors, and on the
second Wednesday Of each month shall pay
all money in his hands received for taxes,
and interest and costs on the same, to the
city treasurer, taking his receipt therefor :;
provided that when the collector of taxes is
also city treasurer he shall keep correctly
and in neat manner a separate set of books
as collector, in which he shall charge himse elf
as collector with all money received for taxes,
and credit himself with the amounts charged
and carried to the treasurer's books; and he
shall receive as compensation for collecting
said taxes one per cent. on all money re-
ceived for taxes collected within one year
from the date of commitment, and paid into
the treasury; and he shall also be entitled to
q mo pOl
lected by him from taxes, for the collection of
which legal proceedings shall have been in
stituted by him within said year; and for all
taxes not thus disposed of or abated he shall
be held personally responsible, and shall re-
ceive no compensation for collecting the same,
but shall be held to pay the legal rate of in
terest thereon after the expiration of two years
from the time when said taxes were commit
ted to him for collection.
Section 3. There shall be allowed a dis
count of eight per cent. on all taxes except
poll taxes paid to the collector on or before
the tenth day of August annually and there
shall be charged, and the collector is hereby
directed to collect the legal rate of interest on
all sums of money paid as taxes after October
first, annually.
Section t. The Mayor shall draw from the
city Treasury, in favor of the collector, such
sums of money as have been collected of the
State and County taxes, at such times as the
law requires for the payment of the same for
which the collector shall give his receipt to
the city. And the collector shall be bound,
at the request of the assessors to return to
them for the purpose of correction, any list
or lists of taxes that have been committed to
him.
Section 5. All ordinances inconsistent with
this ordinance, are hereby repealed, and this
ordinance shall take effect when approved by
the Mayor.
At the meeting last Thursday, the proposed
ordinance was taken up and very lengthy
discussed by Councilman Boynton, who ar
gued and finally concluded that the whole
thing was almost if not entirely unconstitu-
tional 1t is to be hoped that it is not, but
that it will be passed to be ordained, so our
city can boast of municipal regulation re-
curing prompt collection of taxes.