Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-05-04
To Voters of Augusta County at the May
Election.

Editor VandicdtOr:
Please allow me through yonr valuable
paper to call the attention of all voters in
our county to the fact, that the most in
portant officer we have to elect in the sew
eral districts is the Supervisor. The Board
of Supervisors hold the purse-strings of the
county, and stand between the taxpayer
and extravaganza in every department of
the county government, and at the same
time make all just allowances and proper
appropriations for the public interest IN
accordance aUith lato. IT y'u elect gentle
men whom you know to be honest and
capable aud who pay considerable taxes
themselves, then you may expect your
county expenses to be as near a minimum
| as is Consistent with justice to public ser
vice and county interests.
1t is believed that many voters and tax
payers do not know the amount and I'M
pOrtance of the public service rendered by
the Board of Supervisors, and the object
of the writer OF this is to call special
attention to it. The annual levy to meet
the expenses of the county, aud the
! annual levy to meet in part the
expenses Of the public schools. are both
fixed and determined by the Board of
| Super visors The allowance out of county
funds made to the Commonwealth AttOr-
ney, to the Clerk of the County Court and
to the Sheriff, for the public services rem
| dered by these officers respectively are all
determined by the Sama Board The
county Surveyor and Superintendent of
the poor are appointed by the County Court
upon the recommendation of th's Board.
The several comm lssioner's Books, both
land and property are critically examined.
and prnt erty lists compared by the Board;
if errors are found the commissioner is re-
quired to correct them-and when cor
rected they, thus corrected. go into the
hands of the Treasurer and Auditor of
Public Accounts, and from these books
all tax-tjckets are made out by the Treas
urer.
The Board of Supervisors examine the
Treasurer's Office-have access to its re-
cords, and if anything is found wrong,
steps may be taken to correct the wrong
and protect the county from loss or dam
age. The Treasurer submits his list of
delinquent taxes to this Board, and if a
single name is found thereon imp "operiy.
the same is. erased, and only such certified
to the County Court as are believed to be
utterly insolvent. Even the County Court
cannot establish new road, alter any
rad. repair or build any bridge. when the
cost thereof exceeds $50 co. without the
consent of the Bnard.
This same Board annually settles with
every public official through whose hands
any public money passes. The Treasure
of the County, the SUPERINTENDENT the
Poor, the Oyerseers of the Poor 10 the
several districts. the Clerks of the Courts,
and the Sheriff and Jailor-all are requir-
ed to SETTLE up by itemiZed accounts an
nually and file vouchers for every dollar
1Nsr hr,ov Inn
maDy other matters of minor Importance,
sound discretion and familiarity with the
laws of the land. -
Frem the above statement of the duties
and labors required of the Board of Super
viaOrs, it will be seen that in order that
this Board may act intelligently, it IS
indispensable necessary that one at least,
or more of its members, should be thor
ough accountant. perfectly competent to
examine the records and papers filed IN
any of the public offices of the county, and
capable of deciding, according to law, all
points which may arise. Otherwise. these
accounts would probs bly, be inaccurate and
large sums of m ,ney be lost to the coun-
ty. Indeed, the financial condition of the
county, and tn, amount of taxes collected
from the people depend largely upon hold
ing all public officers, who dsburse the
peoples money, TO rigid accountability,
and the Board of Supervisors alone have
the power to co 80.
In view of the foregoing facts, how
careful ought voters to be in selecting gen.
tlemen of X own capacity, integrity and
firmDess to fill this impol tant Office. The
finances of the cnunty have been we'll
managed ever since we have had Board
IF Supervisors. Gentlemen who give thel
time in large measure to the Interest OF
the people of the county, ought to be re-
tanned AS long as they will serve, aud the
people ought to be very slow In making
changes, except for good reasons touching
the public interests. W. L. II.