Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-09-14
Salaries and Assessments.

Salaries and Assessments.
We gave last week some hastily gath
cred facts, intended to set in right light
before the people of the county a sub
ject that, for their own selfish and par
tisan ends, certain parties are misrepre-
senting and using as political weapon.
We refer to the alleged raising of sala-
ries of county officers by the Board of
Supervisors. Since our last issue, 9th
er facts have come to our knowledge, of
a character calculated to throw light
not only upon the salary question, but
also another, which has been manipula-
ted by demagogues with view of hav-
ing it do service as political capitalize
raising Of the assessments. As facts
are worth more than any amount of ar
gument and assertion, what follows will
be mainly statements from the record.
The County Auditor receives GER
tain specified sum from the county
treasury, together with the fees pertain
ing to his Office, as salary, and for the
performance of all the duties of said Of
flee. The work is such that the Audi
tor requires an able assistant during the
entire year, and at certain times addi-
tional help is required, in order that the
work may be completed by the time
specified by law. The charge has been
made by certain parties that the Audi
tors salary has been raised from 800
to $500 by the present Board of Super
visors. Let us see if this will bear in
vestigation. The amount voted to the
Auditor by the Board elected in 1873,
which is now by some called "the econ
omical Board, " was as follows:
For For 49, 3s3t s1 sS s5ssse. ssass.M
For 1876. 100. 1913. si7s. is.
The salary voted the Auditor this
year is 1900 and the fees received in
his office up to Sept. LIST are $23042.
Now unless the fees for the remaining
four months of the year nearly equal
the amount received in the first eight
months-which is entirely improbable
there will be no increase of the Audi
tors salary, though there is very large
increase of the work of the office. Again
the Board of 1874 was practically the
Roord of 1870 +bo ,,,o,,bon, 49,, H..
ed holding for 1874, 1875 and 1876
They, knowing the increase of work oc-
casioned by the School District Town
ships of Jefferson, Homer, Como, Ere
mont and Fairbank going into the indie
pendent District system, unanimously
fixed the salary of 1876 as above stated.
The salary of 1877 was fixed by the
present Board on comparison with that
fixed by the former Boards, and unless
the fees increase beyond all precedent
for the remainder of the year, the
amount received will be actually less
than before. Now where is the increase
of salary from 800 to $500, or any 9th
er sum.
Let us turn to the increase of assess
ments and see what there is in the hue
and cry relating thereto. Let us in
quire into it with all candor and frank
ness, and without partisan feeling.
The present Board of Supervisors as
sumed their responsibilities at the Jan
uary session, 1877, at which time they
fixed schedule of rates ''for the assess
ment Of property" for the government
of assessors 1t became their duty at
the June session to equalize the assess
ments of the several townships, and to
see that their instructions had been car
ried out. On examination it was found
that the assessments did not correspond
with the schedule fixed by the Board.
1t was then the privilege of that body
to so equalize the assessments as to
make them correspond with the instruc-
tons, and to base them on their judg-
ment of the valuation of property. AS
to the legality of the increase of the ag-
gregate assessment, which is questioned
by some, the Board had the opinion of Ex-
Attorney General Cults and also that
of District Attorney Powers, to the eff
feet that Boards of Supervisors have the
power to increase or decrease the valua-
ton of any class of property Now let
us compare the valuation of our county
with that Of adjoining counties. As fix
ed by the State Board of Equalization,
our valuation is reduced per cent,
while that of Blackhawk is raised 30
per cent, and Fayette 20 per cent, and
our valuation will average with those of
Delaware and Benton. So, our valua-
ton is on par with that Of our neigh
bors, and our Board is shown not to be
far out of the way, and to have acted in
good faith The fact is also established
that had not the Board increased the as
sessments, the State Board would have
been compelled to do so.
But, it is blindly charged that the in
crease was required to cover extrava-
CANT expenditures by the present Board.
That this is absurdly false is shown by
the fact that this Board has not con-
tracted single debt present or prospec-
tive. Let us examine the record and
see why the increased assessment was
necessary. 1t may, or may not be known
that for the past four years the ex-
penses of the county have exceeded the
income from the county levy. On the
first of January, 1875, there was an in
debtedness in the county fund-incur-
red under the first year of anti-Republi-
can rule-of 81 1890 On the first of
January 1876-under the same rule
this was increased to $4,2142O. During
that year-the Board being nearly equal
ly divided between the parties-this in
Inh< oIpo,c f,,,&ho. &o col