Middletown transcript., 1892-12-29
CHAIRMAN JOLLS, REPORT.
A REVIEW OF THE WORK OF THE
LAST LEVY COURT.

A REVIEW OF THE WORK OF THE
LAST LEVY COURT.
The Finance Committee Make Im-
portant Suggestions : Bonded
Debt and Registration and As
sesment Laws CONSIDERED
A Plea for Increased
JAN Facilities.
After Saturday the Levy Court OF
New Castle county will be thing OF
the past, and in IFS stead five Commits
sioDers viii legislate the affairs of the
county. At meeting of the Levy
Court on Saturday last, the finance
committee, of which John w. Jolls,
is chairman, made its final report, in
which Is advocated manv necessary re-
forms. The report in full follows:
The following is the report of the
Finance Committee:
"The Finance Committee of the
Levy Court, first appointed February
8, 1891, and reappointed February, 2,
1892. now that the legal existen; ;e of
the said Levy Court is to terminate
and end, beg leave to submit the fol-
lowing report of whathas been accomp-
lished during the past twenty-three
months, and what, in its judgment,
the financial requirements OF the
county will demand in the near future.
THE BONDED DEBT.
{" Entering upon its duties the COM
mittee found the county bonded debt
to be as follows:
For Court House $,svM $O00
For Almshouse .... ZaU00 10y
For County purposes lSUvVV
Total bonded debt. ..... s476sOo
/" AS TO the Court House debt, no
part of it can be paid before July l.
1899, for such is the provision of the
certificates Of Indebtedness, issued
July /, 1879; therefore, until 1899.
there will be no demand upon the tax
payers except for the semi annual pay
ment of interest at four and one-half
per cent.
aThe almshouse de bt has thus far
been cared for by the trustees of the
almshouse property, trust created by
an act of General Assembly passed
March 30, 1888. The principal has
been reduced by the payment of
ST., 900 to S210, 900 and this committee
is informed that the trustees will con-
tinue to provide for the maturing bonds
for several years to come; therefore.
there will probably be no demand on
the Taxpayers except for interest.
THE COUNTY DEBT.
1.-THE county debt Of $751; was re-
duced by the payment of $4,000 in
July last, and the tax levy of the pres
ent year contemplates the payment of
$40, 600 in July next.
ssAttention is directed to require
ment Of the ct of the General Assem-
bly, passed March %, 1888, i. e., that 5
per cent. of the principal sum Of $780,
600, or $4,000, shall be paid annually
which was not met for several years
prior 10 1891, for there 10 the sum of
SEQ, 900 bearing unnecessarily high rate
Of interest now past dine and unpaid;
therefore It IL recommended that legis-
iativa sanction be obtained to refund
this makufed debt at lower rate of
ilisorsss.
TIE FLOATING DEBT.
ie This committee also found float
inn debt of sss, 900. which with the
accrued interest was paid by the ap-
plication of the $75, 900 received from
the trustees of the poor under the pro-
visions of chapter 10, Laws of della
ware, 1891, and from the tax levy of
1891.
".When this committee made its
estimate ior 1891 it was thought that
the amounts due from the collectors of
taxes for the balances of the 1889 and
1890 levies would liquidate all claims
against the county other than the
floating debt of $50, 900.
WHO HAVE NOT PAID UP.
9 But of the amounts due from col
lectors Of taxes there still remain un-
paid as follows: From Duval Gibbs,
50, ,O51.s 80; from John J. Dougherty.
SIG. $685. .43; from John w. Mullin,
81, 1869, which is hoped may soon
become available. Executions were
issued on the official bonds of the
above-named collectors of taxes with
out, however, effecting collections Of
the amounts due.
In the case of Dougherty there have
been appeals to the courts, which have
not yet been passed upon. In the
case of Gibbs and Mullin it was con-
Slu6I6u DCot lOL IuO luICICoIo VI thC 1
county to be indulgent toward the
sure les.
TAX LEVY OF 1891.
1.-THE tax levy of 1891 was expected
TO realize 1924, 344. OIL, but at this time
the actual results are not known to this
nor to the comptroller; and
therein lies defect in the law Of April
Is, 1891. There IS no provision where
BY the actual sum to be realized can be
The extinguishment of
sll taxes, except on real and other prop.
,rty and personal property and persons
possessed Herewith, on May 1,
lisposes of the uncollected poll taxes;
out the determination Of errors in the
property assessment is not provided for
ind until the amount of such errors is
there can be no final settle
nent; and again, the time when there
,hould be an adjustment is indefinite,
hat time being determined by the re-