The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-01-23
The County Finances,

|
purposes would be quite sufficient to dcfray the
current expenses Of the County and, sfwith the
addition Of an extrs icvy mills to pay past in
| debtedness, at the end OF the present fiscal year
the County Of Union would be out Of debt, while
in the meantime all current accounts would be
promptly paid. Under such information it was
! cutie rpsurar sS-,r'"'"'s aI haSI ,.v e.s
itsts i oval japis stsal ssaIlp 49,,
sisce tlsesSor.ls OF fhS $rf~atamer's bSots they
f1r them. 1t was mystery the people could
| not solve.
Last week we commented somewhat sharply
upon the matter, not willingly, we confess, for
we have tho highest respect for each of the Com
missioners and the Treasurer, knowing that not
one them would Intentionally do wrong to any
one; but when n sufficient levy had bcea made
and only 10 per cent of the current accounts
could be paid out of it, after all bu: few delin-
quent taxes had been collected by the Treasurer,
one of two things appeared evident to us either
n nil tax was found not sufficient orthcrc
was great disregard Of the Interests of the
creditors in keeping in the Treasury 30 per cent
of what was due them.
We have siuco looked into the matter, through
the Treasurcr's books, and find that tho original
tax duplicate C. lied for u little moro than S28,-
600, for all purposes, and nearly all the proper
tomato share Of that amount belonging to the
County has been reported to the Copmisfioners
and paid out by thcm-the Treasurer Nr,,serving
in his hands sufficient sum TO meet any demand
upon him for abatements, errors, &C., that will
| occur with the most careful So that, so far as
the original duplicate is concerned, the Treas
| urer has reported nearly every dollar called
for on it. But through the thorough examna-
ton and intcllig INT labor of Col. J. L. Young
| the present Auditor, there have been discovered
n large number Of omissions by which the tax
receipts have been Increased $4,000 over what
the original Duplicate called for, of which the
County is entitled to its 3 mill tax share. If we
understand the situation right, the Treasurer
has reported all that he could report to the Com-
missioners, with safety to himself, and there is
but n small amount bohind to draw FROM
This being correct, it is evident that ) mill
tax will not pay much if any, more than 10
per cent of the current expenses Of the County,
and will leave u deficiency debt of 20 or % per
cent every year.
We are ignorant of the present total debt of
the County, and we think the Commissioners
should give the public q full report of it, SO that
the people may see what its financial condition is.
Such a report is due the people and has been
, asked for frequently.
two mill tax for past Indebtedness Of this
County was authorized by the last Lesis laturc,
but if mill annual tax is not sufficient to de-
fray the expenses Of the County but leaves an
annual deficiency, We shall be continually calling
for an extra levy, while the credit CT The County
will continue in such bad repute that every per-
son working for or selling to the County will
have to charge enough extra 10 meet the uncer-
tainty of collecting their claims.
1t would be good economy to levy tax at
once sufficient 10 pay the old debt and then an
nually thereafter make the levy sufficient to meet
all demands promptly. Wo confident the
people would bc better satisfied and the Offices
| of Treasurer and County Commissioners much
| plcasanter.