The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1880-01-02
WonId the Collection of Taxes Inv a
County Treasurer be OF Advantage to
Taxpayers

ed the question of the appointment OF Treasurer,
The subject was considered in all its bearings, and
ayote being taken, showed II opposed to and 10 in
The. question was "Would the collection of
taxes by County Treasurer be Of advantage to
Mr.. Allen said he was satisfied 1t would be of adj
vantage. You could got good man for 5000 a
year or less. He could also act as Clerk to the
thereby save the Clerks salary of $500 a year.
That wonld make the additional expense Of the
per cent for collecting the taxes. by the Treas
urer plan we would save $500 year. large
amount am would also be saved by doing away with
vantage would be the convenience of collecting
bills against the county. You would always know
now are hard to find. The appointment of a
Treasurer would also relieve the County Commits
bonds. They would also be more careful in APP
proving the Treasurers bond than they now are
in approving the collectors bonds.
Mr.. Aliens plan would be to have the taxes due
on the LIST of January, as now. There should be
stated discounts for payment of taxes before that
two months on interest, and il not paid by the LIST
of March turn all bills over to the Sheriff for col
lection: 1t would not be any hardship to compel
man to pay his taxes once every year, provided
these payments were II months apart If person
can not pay taxes on his property it ought to be
Sold the taxes paid, and the balance given back to
him.
James II; Ball said he would like Mr.. Aliens
| mode provided the Treasurer were made respon-
| sible for the money while he has it. The plan
would require every man to go to the centre of the
county at a certain time to pay his taxes, but if
the taxes were paid at stated time there would be
more CONFIDENCE in the public business.
Christopher Wilson said that in Illinois, wherehe
Taxes are due January LIST. If not paid by the 18th
OF March the personal property is seized and sold
or township Us in Hartford Real estate is sold for
| taxes of the past year in June. The owner has IL
months during which to redeem his property
>Riere are always present land sharks who buy the
| property and then charge the owner double 10 re-
deem it. He was glad to see the club taking the
terests everybody. In his opinion county Treas
urer would be OF advantage, because he thought
IT would tighten the taxes Taxation lisa debt that
none can escape, and if compelled to pay by GER
TAIN time the tax bill would bereghrded like note
| in bank.
along better by Paying their taxes to q Treasurer
| themselves instead of to collectors. He alluded to
the plan adopted in the city of baltimore, where
discounts arc allowed Tor prompt payment and
| thought it would work here. He also thought
| there should be three Commissioners instead Of
five. Low taxes would increase the value of prop
crty in the county, and he had no doubt the taxes
could be collected more cheaply than they are,
either by Treasurer or by one tax gatherer at
Albert Holloway favored Mr.. Aliens views, and
| thought the taxes could be curtailed considerably
| Thomas Lochary also agreed with Mr.. Allen and
could not add anything or take any exception to
what Mr.. Allen had said.
Isaac Wilson said the taxes are collected much
cheaper than they formerly were, but we ought
to have n better system. Mr.. Wilson said he did
Know OF any Dad results OF the present SYSTEM
| :. Is. Silver SAID there ought to he one collector
or Treasurer for the whole county, in Bel Air
Taxes say for lsSO ought to be now in hand to pay
all the county expenses The county ought not
ask any man to wait for his bill The taxes should
all he paid three months after they were due, and
| the county would then have money in hand with
which to pay debts.
James Lee said from shat he had heard he was
in favor OF Treasurer, and thought a change OF
| some kind should be made.
Mr. Ball suggested that if taxes were collected
from II central Office there would he no additions
tothcasSessablc basis from Improvements in prop
crty, &c.
MIR, Allen thought that in addition to the Treas
nrer II might be advisable to appoint some one to
make assessments. The greatest advantage of a
Treasurer would he its convenience for per
sons collecting bills from the county. The reduc-
ton of expenses would not be felt.
II. John Rogers said he was at one time in favor
of County Treasurer. but now he is opposed to
it. Some persons say the taxes are collected too
cheapy now, but he did not think they are. Men
willing to collect them at the present rates and
give good and sufficient bond. If there are any
defaulters il is the fault of the County Commits
sioners in accepting worthless bonds. One man
could not collect the taxes of Hartford county,
to be collected by the Sheriff, but it would cost
more money in the end than it does now. The
Treasurer system would put all the money of the
county into the hands of one man instead of FIVE.
The bond would necessarily be very large and a
man who could give such bond would expect a
would go rintaxed and if You employed some one
to make assessments that would be additional eX-
pense. He preferred the present system. In the
West where they have County Treasurers, it not
unfrcqucntly happens that Treasurer fills his
pockets and runs of, leaving his securities to
suffer. III the County Commissioners were care
full in taking bonds of collectors not one cent need
be lost by the present system.
Mr.. Allen remarked that the additional cost
would fall upon the delinquent taxpayers.
Mr. MoorCS said it il the taxpayers that we want
to benefit and the majority of them are poor.
:, David Price expressed himself in favor of Il
County Treasurer.
George f. Silver agreed with Mr.. Rogers. A
year two ago he believed Treasurer would be
best, but he had changed his mind. For the gen.
eral good of the people the present system Is best
great deal Of trouble with it lies with the Com,
missioners, who are not always careful enough in
selecting bonds for the collectors. The expense
of collecting taxes by Treasurer would be greater
than II is now and 1t would be harder on the peo-
II. NJ. Whiteford said he would favor anything
, in the way OF Improvement but was not in
favor of a County Treasurer. In the first place
you would have to erect suitable building in BE
. Air for the Treasurers office. Then it would take
two or three assistants to do the work. As the time
drew near when the discounts would cease there
would be such rush that people could not b.
: seat often, and when they have an opportunity
they may not have the money to pay their taxes
cost him from so to 20 cents for his dinner 25 cent
for horse feed to say nothing of other eX rnses h,
might incur. A Treasurer would make m,re tn,
. on the poor man. In the matter of assessment:
of new property you would be compelled to hay,
men scattered over the county and they would no
have as good an opportunity us the collectors hav'
h to find new property for assessment. As for de
q linquent tax collectors we may lose more hetvil.
! by Il Treasurer than we ever have by collectors
The Treasurer might have IL nice pile and puiI out
:: or go to stock gambling, as others have dono. Tn
collectors never have so much on hand as a Treas
u good bonds for collector us for Treasurer.
o. David +. Wilson had not fully made up his mnt
:. which plan would work best.
John Moorcs was decidedly opposed to a Treas
urer He had not supposed there were more THAI
six men i'll The county in tayorof 4 Treasurer; an
y printers. Three-fourths Of the taxes are paid b.
onc-fourth of the people. If the Treasurer ap
q pointed stated times during which deduction
would be allowed on tax bills ono-fomrth Of tn
y | taxpayers would take advantage Oft. Thus three
fourths Of the money paid in taXcs would be takel
l. out of circulation. No money is needed until tn
LIST of January. 1t costs only S2,5O TO collect tn
$SOO0O levied for county expenses. The collector
$ give bond fordoublc the amount they have t9col
: | lect. If they turn out to be defau!tefs and the
county suffers loss IL is Clearly the fault of tn
= county Conmissioners in taking the bonds TIT
i annually 500 900 By good collectors. This amour
4 has been added and it could be done again. 1t Il
o the duty of collectors to know what everytaxpay
er is assessed with and ascertain If farmers have
increased their stock orerccted new buildings. 4
! County Treasurer could not do that We ,ough
n to have frst-class men for County Commissioners
Then we would get tirst-class men for collectors
r The collector is the disbursng officer He come
q to every man door. No simpler or more conyen
Treasurer you will make an autocrat. He viii
issue his edct and we will be compelled to obey
. Under the present system the money for taxes L
kept in circulation until it is needed. We don
want the money locked up in Bel Air. As fo
sending money by dmeghhors that is not business
+ The salary of the Treasurer would be large ant
, Mr.. Moorcs thought il is better to divide tina
Y amount between five men instead OF giving it t.
one. H any change is TO be made he would sug
: gcst allowing the collcctors4 per cent You coult
get good men for that amount. Then allow tn,
/, Commissioner making disappointment to go upor
n the collectors bond.
i Mr.. Allen thought il was not necessary for tn,
Treasurer's bond to be double the amount of take
collected. He should be compelled to pay out con
; stantly and would not have much on hand at
time,
Benjamin Silver said we had a very good system
but it is badly carried out. The Commissioners
should examine the bids and bonds and their attor
ney should look the record to if the bono
i is good. If the bond of the lowest bidder was moi
sufficient, take the next higher. 1t is not goot
a..