Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-29
The New County and the Pocket
Nerve.

believing. as We do, that, for years to
come, the people who compose its popu-
lation would do better together, prevent
ing not only an impressive autonomy
but retrenching their taxes, we never
theless realize the fact that if they want
to leave ue, our Southern brethren have
the perfect legal right to do SO under the
act of the Legislature of this State. we
don't think that the bill creating Orange
county was just in principle, in that 1t
committed the decision of the question
to a mere fraction of the people OF Los
Angeles county, but it passed both houses
of the Legislature and received the sane
ton of the Governor, and that ended the
matter so far as this journal is concerned
Attaching some importance to con-
tinued connection with our neighbora,
mainly from sentimental considerations,
the HERALD claims the right to join in
the discussion as to the adyisability of
the people of the proposed county setting
I'D for themselves in business. The Board
of Supervisors, at their session yesterday,
gave official sanction to presentments OF
the matter which have substantially
heretofore appeared in these columns.
They formulated some figures as to the
probable cost of running the contem-
plated new county which have an i'm
pressive significance to the taxpayers
resident within it's bounds.
The Board was of opinion that the cost
of running the new county would foot up
about $29S, 700, which would have to be
raised by taxation within the first twelve
months. The assessed value of the pro-
posed county of Orange footed up in the
County Assessors rolls $1,000, 600.
From this will have to be deducted the
State Board of Equalization's reduction
of fifteen per cent, diminishing the total
to the $4,000, 900, at which figure the
| HERALD has placed the new county's
share of the assessment rolls. The
Board estimates that the assessment roll,
this year, has been fifteen to twenty-five
per cent. less than last. But on the
assumption that last years assessment,
as adjusted by the State Board of
| Equalization, should hold good for the
current year, a rate OF 81 on the 500 valua.
alton would be needed. The Supervisors
in their estimates have placed the figures
at what they regard as only sixty per
cent. of the real sum needed to start the
county, in order that they should not be
success fully challenged. This would
really involve a rate of SO on the 500,
and to this the residents of the incorpo-
rated towns must add their local taxes,
which might bring the rate up to 81 on
the 800 of valuation.
In these estimates of the Board no pro-
vision is made for public buildings of the
new county, interest on the funded debt,
the probable issue of honda, nor the
principal and interest of school district
bonds now outstanding. The fiscal year
of Los Angeles county ends on the 80 h
of June. The county will then owe
$150,0O0, besides its funded debt
of $6S1, 1000, of which Orange county
would have to pay one-twelfth, or
about 1858, ,250. OF school bonds there
are outstanding in the region set
| apart for the new county $102, ,65S
for which provision must be made to pay
principal and interest. OF this sum the
city of Santa Ana alone owes $40, 500.
On the other hand, the property of Los
Angeles county does not foot up over
$500. 900, including the funds on hand
applicable to our public improvements.
| Orange county would therefore be in
debt to this county nearly $4,000, in
stead of starting with the large sum to
the good which gentlemen interested in
the new venture have been 30 fond of ex-
patiating upon.
While these are substantially the same
| figures which the HERALD has all along
presented, it must be borne in mind that
as We present them now they are the
official figures of the Board of Super
visors.
We confess that we fail to see in them
anything that would make taxpayer OF
the proposed new county vote aye in the
premises. On the contrary, as it seems
to US, ordinary common sense and busi-
ness prudence call for the overwhelm-
| ing defeat of the scheme at the polls.
With a top-heavy machinery, an
enormously high rate OF taxation and a
heavy debt, the outlook is not very en-
couraging to the men who will have to
pay the piper.