The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-18
PROPOSED COUNTY BUILDING.
A Meeting of the Committee TO be held
tomorrow afternoon.

| The committee appointed by the board
of supervisors in regard to the building OF
| new county offices, will meet at the coun
/ ty clerk Office tomorrow afternoon, al
| two O'Clock, A meeting of the same
| committee was held last week, when
| States Attorney Parmenter was consulted
| as to the legality of erecting a county
| building. without special vote of the
| people to that effect. Mr., Parmenter's
reply to the question plopounded to him
| is as follows:
In reply to your question: Can the
Board of Supervisors of Rock Island
county incur debt of 1000 for the
erection of building for the purpose of
| furnishing suitable offices for the Clerks
of the County and Circuit Courts, with
out first submitting the question to vote
of the people of the county-the last as
sessment for state and county purp oses
being 5000, 600, and the present debt of
the county being $40, 000?' / would say
that have carefully examined the con-
stitution aud law touching the above
question, and / am of the opinion that
the county can incur debt. under exist
ing Indebtedness, in the aggregate not
exceeding five per centum of the valne of
taxable property of the county to be as
certained by the assessment for state and
county faxes. previous to mourning such
Indebtedness Constitution Ill, 1870,
Art 8, Sill The last assessment for
state and county purposes being eight
millions of dollars, and the present debt
of the county being $50 900, the present
debt, together with the proposed debt, is,
less than five per centum of the value Of
the taxable property of The county.
/ am therefore of the opinion that the
county can incur debt of s. 900 for the
purpose of erecting a building for the
purpose of furnishing suitable offices for
the clerks of the County and Circuit
Courts. / am of the further opinion that
the county board can incur said debt with
out submitting the question TO vote of
the people of the county, but at the time
or before said Indebtedness is in
CURED the county board should make suit
able provision for the payment of the
same TConstitution, 1870. Art IL.
If, after mourning said debt, the lowest
expenses of the county should be so great
that it would require a tax of more than
seventy five cents per 500 valuation to
raise revenue sufficient to pay said current
expenses and said debt, then it would re-
quire a vote of The people of the county
at a general election to authorize the
board to assess taxes to a sufficient
amount to pay said expenses and said
debt Yours Respectfully.
E. E. PARMENTER.
As the ARGUS has, before stated, the
capacity of the present county offices is
overtasked, and all the available space is
now occupied. The Revised Statutes say
it is the duty of the county board to
provide proper rooms and offices, there
fore we can see no objection to the cree
ton of new building at once. If the
matter is delayed until vote of the peo-.
pie can be taken, it will be two years at
least before a county building could be |
built which would lie needless waste of |
time. 1t has been discovered that two |
story structure will cost no more than a |
single story with a tower, so it will be |
advisable to select a two story building |
and an extra amount of room can be |
secured. In a recent issue of the Union |
,he committee was urged to select the
Ute between the court house and jail |
building, but as the location is not near
30 desirable as the southeast corner, and /
from the fact that a resolution was passed |
at the meeting of the county board, Sc
letting the southeast corner as the site, it
IS hardly possible that the suggestion will
be entertained for moment We trust
the committee will act discreet in this
matter. tits forcibly demonstrated that a
new county building has become neces-
sity, but they must not make a blunder
by choosing an undesirable site for its
erection.