Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1882-02-23
County Finance.

The statement Of the financi-
al condition of the county, pre-
pared and published by the
county commissioners, is salts
factory in some respects and in
Others it is not. 1t shows that
on the first of January, 1872,
the county owed the sum SI4,-
1870, against which the assets
Of the county are placed at sI5,-
6SI.o4, of which SII,o75.oI is
in uncollccted taxes for 1881,
the sum of SII,463.54, is in de-
linquent taxes for the years
1876 to 1880, both inclusive,
and a large portion of which
will..never be collected; the de-
linquent taxes for 1876, amounts
to S3,II5.43 and as six years
have elapsed it is not at all
likely that much of the sum will
be available. The statement
only covers six months, being
from July I, 1881, at which time
there was outstanding the sum
Of sI6,4oI.54 in registered scrip.
1t appears that during the time
the sum of s42S.S4 has been
paid out for roads and bridges,
which sum represents the en-
tire amount of money eXpend-
ed by the county for public
improvements. The remainder
of the county money has been
absorbed IN paying the expen-
ses of the various courts, jury
fees, amounting to very large
sum, keeping prisoners, pau
pers and lunatics, and in the
necessary expenses of keeping
up the various county offices.
The report is incomplete mas
much as it fails to show the
expenses of the Jail, the poor
farm, the district and county
courts and the incidental ex-
expenses of the county offices.
1t also fails to show the amount
of funds in the hands of the
county treasurer, if there was
any at the time. A financial
statement should be clear and
concise and in such a shape as
to be understood by those who
are unacquainted with the intri-
cacies OF keeping accounts. 1t
should show the amount of
money collected and credited
to the various funds and how
the same is disposed of, the
people would probably like to
know exactly what it has cost
to maintain the prisoners m the
county jail, how much for the
lunatics, how much for the poor
farm, and how much for jury
services, The BANNER has no
doubt that the commissioners
have done everything in their
power to give the people an
economical administration; the
county has been in debt and
scrip has been at a discount and
is yet; about S. cents is the
best price 1t can be sold for.
Taxes this year will be very
light, while the expenses of the
county cannot be materially
reduced. Solong as scrip re-
mains at discount the county
will have to pay a high price
for everything it purchases.
Judging by the statement re-
ferred to the available assessets
will probably be sufficient to
pay the outstanding liabilities,
but as there is no money ahead,
there.is little or no probability
of county scrip reaching par be-
fore tax-paying time next fall,
if then. 1t is. safe to say, how
ever, that the county is now
virtually out of debt, and for
this the commissioners court is
certainly entitled to the thanks
of the taxpayers. They have
been honest, conscientious and
palnstaklng, and II they nave
erred it has been unintentional
on their part.
A matter OF deep interest to
the people of the county is the
public schools, with these the
commissioners have nothing to
do. VIII the county judge
oblige the public with a con-
densed statement of the amount
of school funds disbursed in the
county and the number of
schools and pupils in the same7
We are wholly without any
data in regard to the county
schools.