The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1883-07-14
Correspondence BaiiiAsore CSHaiy Uiaio..
FINANCIAL AFFAIRS OF THE COUNTY

BALTIMORE CouSrY, July 9th. Iss3.
hss.rs. Editors lit IL farthest from the pur-
pose Of any Of these articles on the financial affairs
Of the county TO reflect on the personal character
and standing Of the County Commissioners. The
sole object In writing them IL to present to the
people Of the county the true condition Of affairs,
the kind Of progress that has been made, the ex-
penditures incurred and the general mana cement
Of her public business. said In one Of my letters
that the estimate for expenses was not sufficiently
large over that Of last year to justify increasing
the tax from 81 20 CO cents on the Si00. A tar IL
aluays burden, and being 90 Il should be made
~ light as possible. The estimated increase Of
expense for this year last Is sl79I5, to meet
which the County Commissioners make an increase
property in the eoaniy. Nov, this increase Of las
will realize S35,595.7i, or Si7,Cis.7t more than
necessary 10 meet the expenses. IL this had been
deducted from the estimate 81 cents instead Of 90
eents on the SioO IL all that the tax payers would
be required to pay this year: To this extent,
then, the levy u excessive and should not have
been imposed. II the six millions Of taxable
property assessed by the assessors of new and
missed property within the last Ave years could
have been kept on the books a. part Of the county
basis, the tax would have been only 81 cents In
stead Of co as at present This not being the
the poor taxpayers have 10 bear the heavy bur
den. The only means Of relief IL In their own
hands u they will but use than.
Nov let us look at another item In the estimate
for lSs3. II the taxpayer will turn 20 the back
Of his tax-bil be viii hnd the following estimate
Of expenses Circuit Court for Baltimore county,
$4,000. For the years 1873, 1879, lSs0, 1881 and
lss2 u vas the following respectively $4,000,
5000, $50, eee, $4,000 and s2l 900. II viii be
seen that this yoar 70 has Jumped $1,000. Nov,
whea the actual disbursements for Court expenses
taken into confederation, ~ Published for the
years ISIS, 1879, 1850 and 1881, and compared
with the County Commissioners estimates for these
years, u will be found that the tax payers have
been made 70 ray much more than they should
hare paid. Thesggregaie disbursement for Court
expenses uGs ses,sis.7s, and the total levy 10
meet 10 500. zoe, % siO, ~ more than VAS
required. II that surplus vas collected the esti-
mate for this year, In view Of that fact 10 largely
In excess; otherwise the disbursement for 1859
must Be s3s,ls2 q, which would be the $4,000
estimate for 1859 with the surplus &c. ls7.22 add.
Cd 10 L. Bot the annual statement will shew diff
ferently. The $1,000 increased estimate for Court
expenses with the figures above before the County
Commissioners' eyes, Vas excessive and should not
have been made. Leaving Il OF would have taken
another cent OF Of the enormous tax-rate and
made Il 50 cents instead Of 90 eenis - Al present
have showed where esnts reduction ooald have
besn made In the tag, and With your permission
shall show where stlll more could be made and
give few reasons Why Il was not done. n.