The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-21
THE SANTA BARBARA TAXES
Che Basis of Controversy Between
Auditor and Controller
Money Has Been Paid and the Auditor Wants
1t Turned in-The County Auditors
Explanation

SANTA BARBARA, Dec. 2O.-The county
of Santa Barbara is having a little contro.
versy with the controllers department at
Sacramento. Owing to his wife's illness,
State Controller E. R. Colgan has been at
the Paso Roblss hot springs in San Luis
Obispo county for two months. and the
Office 10 At present under the management
of W. w. Douglass, the chief deputy. Mr..
Douglass has ideas of his own, and he
seems to have awaited himself of the alb
sence of his principal to pursue some
peculiar methods to trip up several county
auditors. The law requires the auditors
to report to the controller on or about
December LIST, the amount of state and
county taxes collected on first installment;
but as the greater part is paid on the last
day, the tax collectors are occupied in
making receipts until the middle of De-
cember. 1t is, therefore, customary in
some counties for the auditors to withhold
their reports until all accounts are straight
ened up. In this county, Auditor Emil
Goux submitted his report within the statu-
tory period upon the basis that $4,000
had been collected. This represented the
sum for which the tax collector had
actually issued receipts, and did not in
cluds more than $50 900 which either had
not been recsipted for or was paid in later.
Mr.. Goux's report was made on Decsm-
Der 9th and at once forwarded to the con-
trollsr's Office. Twenty thousand dollars
being for school taxes, the actual amount
of state and county taxes was 100000
Mr.. Douglass, however, was not satisfied
with this amount. He wanted Santa Bar
bora county to pay moro money, and,
therefore, put up a job on the local officials.
The tax collector received the following
letter:
1892 D street,
SACRAMENTO, Dec. 8, 1895.
IN. F. Burke. ESQ.,, Tax Collector, Santa
Barbara, CAL:
"Dsar SRI am obtaining from the va
rious counties little information relating
to the semi-annual tax-paying law. Wou d
yeu kindly favor me with the exact amount
OF county and state taxes col escted by YOU,
At both rates, up to the time of the delin-
quency in November last? In other words,
l would like the gross amount paid at the
first installment. Thanking you in ad-
vance, | am, yours truly,
1T. NJ. EBY."
The following information was sent in
reply: Total taxes on 1895 roll, $751;
ss0.4l; paid on first installment. $780,
1926.
The sensation was sprung yesterday
when the auditor received sharp COM
munication from the controllers depart
ment demanding a settlement from santa
Barbara county. Mr.. Douglass pointedly
inquired why the auditor omitted $50 900,
and threatens to enforce an accounting
from County Treasurer W. B. M~tcstf.
As q matter of fact, Mr.. Goux's report
was correct up to the time it was rendered,
the balance of the money representing the
amount of the tax receipts issued by the
tax collector during the following days.
The auditor is now wroth. He expresses
his feelings with more emphasis than ele-
gance.
Az the deputy controller claims for the
state a much larger amount of taxes than
the estimates of our county officials, sat
isfactory settlement can hardly be ex-
pected. If the controller proceeds against
the treasurer the county funds Will be tied
up and public business must suffer.
But little business of importance was
transacted al the council meeting. Reso-
lurions we're adopted to construct asphalt
tum sidewalks along portions of the fol-
lowing streets: Lola, Gotta Victoria, Ana
pamu, Figueroa, Cavllo, Canon Perdido
DE la Guerra and Otega. A twenty-five
years franchise to operate telegraph and
telephone lines was granted the Sunset
company.