The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-10-04
AUDITOR. GOURBECK'S FEES,
The Repository FaBifgiIg the Record!
Our County Commissioners Certify
that Auditor SOurbeck has
Drawn His Fees ON their
Order According to Law.
Auditor SOurbeck Has Drawn for the
Same Period Over $4,000 Less
Than His Republican
Predecessor.

The 'Re3OatOry. folks issued a slip,
or circular a day or'two ago to convict
Auditor Sourbeck of drawing overpay,
giving pretended list of the orders and
amounts, and say, "the above figuring
are correct, and can be demonstrated to
be so by reference to the law and the
books of the Auditors and Treasurers
Offices"
The fact is, the list contains items out.
side of the Auditors salary, and if the
ompiler had not been drunk with whis.
ky and blinded by malice, he would
have omitted these amounts drawn bv
other individuals that had nothing to do
with the Auditors fees. For examnle
the County Commissioners purchased a
safe for $500, and this is placed in the
list as fees drawn by Sourbeck. Several
other items, by reference to the Auditors
and Treasurers books, are equally false.
Adherence to truth and official facts
would not have suited the purpose of
the Repository circle, and hence the fal,
sity and baseness.
Below will be found complete vindi.
cation Of Mr., Sourbeck from the County
Commissioners, one of whom, Joshua
Wood, is Republican; and a circular
from the State Auditor on this point. The
fact is, Auditor Sourbeck has conducted
the Auditors office strictly according to
to law, has drawn his fees according to
law, and has charged much less than his
predecessor.
To a. AcGregor, Editor Stark County Democrat.
The following Is plain statement of the law
governing the fees of the Auditor Of Stark County
during the term Of my Office:
Law passed March Goth, 1875, vol. 72 PAGE 1o5
gave the Auditor Salary of $4,000 90 year Sec.
ton of said Statute also allows fees in addition
to salary-s compensation for assessing andplac.
ing upon duplicate tax omissions, services under
road laws ditch laws, Fervicesa as member of Board
Of Appraisers and Assessors of Railroad d, compen.
sation as provided in Sec. 1876 ofschool laws pass
ed May list, 1873 The Statute Of March 20 1879.
was repealed April sth 1877, page 1918 This
latter law repealed the Statute Of 1875 and did not
make any provision for fees and salary of County
| Auditors. From the date ofthat repeal until the
Statute passed April "a, 1877 pages 124-128 there
was no special Statute governing such fees and
salaries, and for the purpose of determining what
should be such fees and salary during such inter-
val application was made by the different Conn
ty Auditors of the State TO the State Auditor who
issued the following circular:
AUDITOR OF STATES OFFICE.
COLUMBUS, o., July IA, 1876.
To County Auditors and Treasures:
GENTLEMEN-There does not appear to be anv
law in force regulating the fees salary or COM
| pensation Of County Auditors or Treasured The
| act ITO regulate the fees of Probate Judpes
Clerks OF the Courts, sherifs, Witnesses, Jurors,
Fees In Partition, and to repeal certain acts there
In named" passed April Sth 1876 repealed tho
| act Of March 20, 1875 fixing the salaries of ihe
several county officers therein named, which last
law, by implication, repealed the provisions Of
such former laws as were inconsistent with t.
self
The saving clause in the 9th Section of the act
OF 1875 that Nothing in this act shall be constr
ed to apply to the officers mentioned therein who
have been elected prior to the passage of this actT
continues in force the provisions Of the pre.ex.
isting law as to such officers.
The fees OF TredSurerS, under the act Of April 18
1865, (S Il g., p. 9l8) will therefore be allowed
and paid upon the final settlement for the taxes
collected upon the duplicate 1876; but addi-
tiOnal legislation will be necessary before any
compensation can be allowed TO County Treas
urers, whose terms commence next September.
Very Respectfully,
JAS WILLIAMS, Auditor Of State.
And in conformity to the instructions given
therein the County Commissioned of Stark County
ascertained and ordered paid the salary and fees
OF the Auditor ofthis county. The Statute of 1877
provides that the Auditors fees from April sth,
1915, should be as follows:
Salary ...."... S040 40
And in addition thereto the following items:
Services as Assessor and Appraisers of Rail
ROads..... 175 90
Services for Assessing and Placing on Tax
Duplicate, Tax Omissions amounting
to, at per 800 90
Services under School lLaw.................. $50 90
Also for services for assessing and levying
taxes according to true value Of prop
erty in money, and filing away Asses
sors return, records and the duplicates
under improved Road laws, about. 500 90
IOJhl. $3.50 10
The Auditor Of this county under the Statute Of
1875 drew only his salary while this law was in
force leaving the fees allowed by him in addition
to the salary, undrawn.
After the repeal of that Statute In 1876 and until
the Statute of 1877 took effect the Auditor Of this
county drew salary and fees IN EXACT CONFORM
TY WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE AUDITOR OF
STATE AS REGULATED AND ALLOWED BY THE COM
MrssIoNERs OF THIS COUNTY, AS THE FOLLOWING
STATEMENT WILL SHOW:
We hereby certify that the amount Of salary
and fees as drawn by Auditor sourbeck during
his term of Office as shown by the books of the
Treasurer, correspond in amount with the bills
presented to and allowed by us in accordance
with law,
LEONARD RABER,
JOHN P0ORMAN
JOSHUA WOODS,
County Commission ers
The Auditor Of this county has not drawn as
much for salary and fees as BY law he Is entitled