Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1886-07-02
Retrenchment and Reform.

Friday Morning...........:...July2, 1856
Retrenchment and Reform.
At the meeting of the county commits
sioners on Tuesday their clerk submitted
a .tabulated statement of the county ex-
penses duly arranged as the basis of the
county levy for the present fiscal year
From the statement thus submitted and
approved by the board, it appears that the
total ordinary expenses OF the county,past
and prospective, which are to be provided
for in the present levy, are SS2,321 50 ;
but to this must be added the sum of
$4,749 As the amount of several "deficien-
cies' which the last board handed down
to the present without the means of meet
ing them, which will make the total dis
bu1se nents for the present fiscal year a
mount to 1901 43. The taxable basis
of the county is S3,54s,5s9 and the rate of
county taxation in the levy for the present
fiscal year wifS stherefore>Ae s1,o5 in the
500. rflessf figures WI
A little examination ~ 10 the taS ii
show that decided savin Npay-
ers has already been effected by the judi
cious reforms and economy of the present
excellent board and that the people are
already reaping the benefit of good local
government. AS shown above the ordi-
nary expenses of the county for the fiscal
year as audited and estimated by the pre-
sent beard, are 3d., 321 95, against $685.
432 AZ as audited and estimated by the
last board for the fiscal year just ended
Thus it appears prima .tacie that there has
been saving to the county of S3,110 50
brought about by the economical reforms
of the present board; but upon little ex-
animation it will be seen tLat the real saw
ing has been a great deal more. 1t will
be seen that, notwithstanding the last
board levied over $4,000 for county ex-
penses fer the past fiscal year and that still
larger levies had been made in preceding
years, that they have handed down to the
present board "defciencies" of unpaid ex-
penses amounting to $4,749 As to be pro-
vided fer in the present levy.
Hence it will appear that the real saw
ing to the tax payers effected by the pre-
sent board has been the large sum of 81
$50 90 in a single year. If the last beard
had provided in the last levy for all their
outstanding liabilities, as it was their
clear duty to have done, then the county
tax rate in the last levy would have been
$1,12 instead of $500; whereas if the pre-
sent board were not under the necessity
of providing for the large deficiencies
handed down by their predecessors the
rate of the present levy would be SO, in
stead of Los. Thus it will be seen that
the real reduction in the rate of taxation
already effected by the present excellent
board of commissioners is represented by
the difference between 90 and 112, or 10
cents in every 500 of property.
This is a most excellent showing and
proves what the TINES has 80 often said,
that when men Of good business capacity
could be placed in charge of the county
affairs, who would administer them with
the same conscientious care that they give
to their own private concerns, that very
decided practical benefits would promptly
result to the people. The members of the
present board of commissioners deserve
and will receive the highest praise and
communication for the intelligent, censci-
entious administration of the trast they
accepted from the people, as shown by the
account they have thus far given of their
stewardship. Now that the people begin
to experience the true benefits OF good,
honest, economical local government, it is
to be expected that along with the CRATE
full thanks they will breathe at being exen-
Grated in some measure from the exact
ions of the tax gatherer, will be a firm res
olution all around that the county shall
not again pass under the domination Of
the bad local influences from which it as
delivered last fall.