Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-02-20

| The ordinary expenses of the county are TO
support of the poor, expenses of COMMISSIONS
of Revenue for extending levies, Jail, court
house, jury. county officers, supervisors cleo
TONS registration books, stationery. minol
incidental expenses, schools, roads, and ex-
| traordinary, as for bridges and McAdam
roads, From the above it will be seen that
the average county levy, for Is years, was
16 2-15 per centum.
The six districts of the county have ap-
proximately, levied a district road tax Of say
II cents. For schools, in recent years. the tax
has been extended to 20 per cent; half for
district and half for county, except South
River to III per cent. Previously the rate
was less in all the districts, and may be re
duced to the same, now that many heavy and
valuable county Improvements have been
made.
The proximate assessed value of the real
and personal property of the county is about
81 900, 900.
The necessity for additional room to the
County Clerks Office fire-proof, had long
been felt. improvement to the Jail to make
it commodious and decent for the variety of
occupants. The long-felt necessity OF having
permanent and suitable rooms in which to
transact business with the principal county
officers by the people of the county, suggested
long ago to the Board of Supervisors, the pro
priety Of carefully saving, on settlements, the
balances in favor of the county for the pur
pose of ultimately making these improve
ments without making any considerable in
crease in the levy for the purpose. Up to 1871
this saving amounted to s4,649.22. The vari
Gus settlements before the County Commits
sloner of the County Treasurer from 1871 to
1882 Gnclusive) shows balances from the gen
eral county levy and from the dog tax levies
sggregating Sc, 100 "A SURPRISES. It was with
the aggregate of these two sums-S1O, 75S 66
that, in large part the enumerated permanent
improvements were built without special
levy for same.
Ia the righthaud column of The tabulated
statement appears the evies made for building
permanent iron bridges across the rivers foI
safe and certain approaches TO the railway
depots and the public places at the earnest
solicitation of the people in their vicinity
These great Improvements have chiefly beer
mace III the lower Slue VI Inc county. 1ut
people along the Middlebrook and Browns
burg road who were laboring under great dis
advantages in getting to market, insisted on
an equalization of benefits from a general
taxation and secured an Improvement of theil
road Thus we see that the people of the
county have had some of their most pressing
needs supplied in such substantial manner.
that there will not be recurrence of the same
in many years. The roads of the county, at
the close of 1894, werein better condition than
ever before. The county is physically well
equipped. She is out of debt; her population
intelligent, enterprlsing, orderly and patriotic.
No embellishments or defalcations, no NAL
administration or incompetency have oc-
Cured to tarnish the justly high reputation of
"Old Augusta" the pride of her people. =
And lastly, an acknowledgement of appre-
citation and gratitude is due to the very excel
lent and efficient officers, who have with so
much integrity and ability conducted the af-
fairs of the county.
PEOPLE.