Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1879-05-16
Reducing the Expenses.
SANDY SPRINGS. May 9Th, Is

SAspY SPRINGS, May 18th, 1879.
INessrs. Editors In common with other
taxpayers, have been much interested in the
discussion of ways and means by which the
burden under which we are laboring may be
lighened, and knowing that there had been
good work done n this direction in Talbot
county, by which their taxes for county pur-
poses were reduced from 80 cents TO so cents
on $l00, wrote TO q friend, near Easton, who
had assisted in the work, for Information as
to the abuses they found in the management
of their county affairs and what means they
adopted to correct them; his reply was so
full and clear and met with such general ap-
proval from all to whom have shown il, that
I think it would be well TO lay it before the
larger circle Of your subscribers, and l am
certain II will be read with interest by large
majority of them. enclose copy herewith,
and hope you will be willing 10 give it place
in your columns. Very Respectfully,
NJ.
"BLooMFIELp, NEAR EAsToS, April 26,'79
When we entered upon our duties as Com
missoners we found an empty treasury and
many pressing claims upon the county. The
first thing we did was to discharge all useless
officers in and around the Court House; next,
we turned our attention 10 the Collectors,
whom we found much behind in their collec-
tons. A number has not settled for years.
We had them before US and informed them
they must settle up, or we would enter suit
against them. We did sue quite a number
and in this way saved large sum which
otherwise would have been lost. We then
turned our attention 10 the management of
the. Aims House. which we found was costing
the county entirely too much in proportion to
the comforts received by its inmates. We
found the treasurer was merchant, who
bought all the goods from his own store at re-
tail prices; also found that from the farm Of
400 acres (attached to the Aims Elouse) there
had been very small crops returned. We con-
cluded TO appoint farmers as trustees, request
ing them to buy from those who would sell
cheapest. By this means we saved one-third,
and the inmates were better cared for.
The printing expenses were very large; we
have four papers in this county and each
thought it must make O large bill, this we
stopped at once having only the printing done
which the law required and by this we reduced
the printing bills from $500 to $500.
BY requiring each person to do his duty him
self we economical in all the departments. Let
me mere say, nau we Deen cOntr0lleu Oy parry,
we could not have thus saved expense. We
began with the determination to act as we
thought would be to the interest of taxpayers
fell sure if we had been continued 10 Office
the taxes would not have been over 40 cents
on the $500, exclusive of State tax, but our
successors made it IS cents, and whit it will
be this year do not know, though fear much
higher.
Some might question ibid yon make any
improvements while in Officer In answer TO
this will state that we paid our $4,000 for
re-assessment and to the board of control and
review also spent $1,000 on repairing the
Court House and. enlarging its grounds. We
created sinking fund TO meet our County
Bonds.
Our county issued S55, 900 in per cent.
Bonds to aid the building of Railroad, and
the law required the County Commissioners
TO levy $2500 each year to provide sinking
fund to meet the Bonds when they matured,
the $4,000 had been yearly levied but never
applied for the purpose intended. We created
a sinking fund and invested for that purpose
$500.
We built two (2) FIRE proof vaults at cost
$500; also built two county roads, all OF
which we paid for, and when our time ex-
pired we turned over to the incoming board
$1,000 in bank and the sinking fund Of $500,
leaving no debts due.'' Truly,