The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-07
HERE'S A MESS
Which the County Commission
ers Have Got Us In.
A Shortage of Thirty Thousand
Dollars
NOW CONFRONTS US.
Due to ShOotsightedness of the
Commissioners.
A Special Levy May Have to
Be Made.
EMPLOYEES IN A FIX.
Some County Officials Must Dis
count Their Vouchers,
In Order to Get Money Enough
to Live On.

The general revenue fund of Shawnee
county is in such depleted condition
that the employees of the county are
compelled to discount their vouchers at
the local banks in order to get their
monthly wages.
The mismanagement of the county
commissioners who a few months ago re-
duced the levy for general revenue pur-
poses is becoming more apparent every
day.
When the commissioners reduced the
general revenue levy they boasted that
through their "able management the
county is now being run on the
most economical basis ever known
in its history but the com
missioners did not look far enough
ahead, and at this time the general rev
enue fund of the county is practically
exhausted, only very few hundred dol
lars being in the county treasury credit
ed to the fund from which the running
expenses of the county are paid.
1t had for several years been custom
ary for employees of the county working
on small salaries to draw their wage
every thirty days by signing their vouch-
ers over to the county treasurer. The
county commissioners allow bills OniT
once in three months, but this custom was
a matter OF accommodation, and ttr
county neither received any bcut.-
fit or suffered any loss thereiA
When the employees the first % thi-
month usual went to the office Of the
county treasurer to convert their voncn-
the county had no money 10 pay its balls
and they would have TO wait
This condition of affairs was sad intel
ligence to the men on small salaries with
large families depending upon them for
support, and it was suggested that they
oh he ali tn ore tn
vouchers at one OF the local banks
A few of the men on the smallest sal
aries and the least able to suffer loss got
the cash on their vouchers by discount
ing them 10 per cent at one of the banks
and the others are waiting for something
to turn up with very little prospects Of
anything turning that way.
The present prospects are that the
county will run deeper in debt each
month for at least another year when
special tax levy be made to relieve
the stringency.
In 1891 the tax levy was and 25-100
mills. In 1892 it was reduced to and
2-1O mills and last year the commission
ers reduced it again to mills.
At the October settlement in 1892 there
was a balance of $39 900 in the general
revenue fund and last fall when the set
tlement was made there was only S10,-
900 in this fund, yet in the face Of this
the commissioners again reduced the
levy.
In addition to this piece Of bad policy
the commissioners failed to take into
consideration the fact that the last legis-
lature passed law reducing the rate Of
interest on delinquent taxes from "a to
10 per cent
The result of this reduction of inter
est was that when the taxes were sold
last fall there were few buyers, and the
general revenue fund did not receive its
usual lift from that source.
A gentleman who is familiar with the
financial condition of the county, said to-
day that the indications are that the
county will be about 100000 short when
the April accounts are audited At the
close of the June quarter the first pay
ment of taxes will help out, but the
county will still be about $4,000 short
October will again increase the deficit
about $27, 900 and before the December
taxes are available the county will be no
less than $75, 200 short. which can only
be made up by "A special tax levy or by
the issuance of refunding bonds, which
can only be done under special enact
ment for the Legislature.