The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-09-23
Conntu Finances.

The law requires the board of supervis- |
ors to make out, at its annual meeting in |
full and accurate statement
of the receipts and expenditures of the
preceding year, together with statement
of the finances of the county at the end of
the fiscal year, including all debts and la
bilities of every description, and the as
sets and other means to discharge the
same. Such statement would be of con-
siderable interest to the public, and one
would think that the board would consider
it due to itself to have it published. But
though The ARGUS in 1874 called atten-
ton to the obvious neglect of duty by the
then existing board in not having this
statement made, the present board ignored
the matter entirely, and the people remain
in the dark IS to the financial condition of
the county, and what its expenses are
Union.
And THE ARGUS called attention to the
same matter again, in August Of this year,
previous to the annual meeting, hoping
that the members of the. board would at
least make an effort to comply with the
law. 1t would seem to be the duty Of the
Finance Committee (Messrs. Wright, Dart
and Chamberlin) to give their particular
attention to this matter, but every member
of the board is liable for neglect of duty in
not having the law complied with. The
following is the law:
(Gross's Statutes Of Illinois, page Ss,)
| DUTIES OF COUNTY BoARDl %. 1t shall b
the dnty of the county board OF each county:
/ < To NAL nuf a. N SnnfQmNer
nualy, full and accurate statement OF the receipt
| and expenditures of the preceding year. whlc
tion Of each Item from whom and on what accoun
received, to whom and on what account expended
together with an accurate statement Of the finance
Of the county at the end of the fiscal year. including
all debts and liabilities OF every description, an
the assets and other means to discharge the same
and within 80 days thereafter to cause the same
be posted up at the court house door and at tw
other places in the county, and published for on
week in some newspaper therein III there Is one, an
the same can be done without unreasonable e1
penee,
(Gr0ss's Statutes Of Illinois, page 1917
COUNTY BoARD-WnFUL NEGLECT ii.
? any member Of the county board of any count
in this state shall wilfully neglect to perform ri
of the duties which or shall be required OF hi
| by law, as q member of the county board, he sha
for every such offense, forfeit the sum OF $Co to
recovered in an action of debt before any justice
the peace OF the county.
Every member of the board of superv
sors is liable to be prosecuted and finet
under the aboye law, for wilful neglect
duty. Their attention has been called
the matter for two years in succession, ar
they have paid no attention to it. Eat
C member has copy of the statutes and
is his duty to study it and learn what
D required of him, He absolutely has no e.
cuse for neglecting his duty, except il
: ability to perform it.
e 1t is the duty of the board to provi(
! suitable books for keeping the fiscal g
e counts of the county in an intelligent ma
n ner,-but this has never been done, a
e we doubt if there is a member of the boa
n n who can tell what system of book-keepi
n is required in order to show the fiscal &C
le dition of the county. Certain it is tn
e, 10 no proper system of book keeping "
or ever established for the county, thou
ny frequent demands have been made
IN IN such system. The books Of the COM
%; ought to be kept by the same system Il
90 banker keeps his books-so that
N. clerk can show the condition of the cou
M NJ any day in the year, at the close Of br
ness.
We hope that every supervisor will
prosecuted, under the law quoted abo
Ill for neglect of duty, The neglect is cert;
n ly wilful, for no other name can be gil
to it, after being furnished at the expe
re- of the county with the law, and after
lp' tention, for two years, has been called to
matter, through the papers. Every
OF pervisor should be required to pay
ate of 5000, for wilful neglect. The busiI
lhe of the county would then be likely to
lou ceiYe proper attention.