The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-06-20
Reforms in County Offices.

Down in Guernsey county, which joins
Tuscarawas on the south, the tax payers
of the county, being suspicious that the
county offices needed overhauling, APP
pointed competent citizens committee
Of three to do the work thoroughly. This
committee has been at work for several
months. Each county office in turn was
taken and the records and accounts
thoroughly examined for period of about
ten years. The result has been that in
nearly every case pretty serious over
charges have been unearthed, those in the
sheriff's office, probate judges office and
office of the prosecuting attorney probably
being the worst. 1t was found, for in
stance, that the prosecuting attorney, in
addition to his regular compensation,
drew $500 year as counsel for the COM
missioners and then worked in charges
for special services. The sheriff did not
keep down to the itemized charges al
lowed by law but made from 80 to 100 per
cent thereto in many cases. 1t was the
same with the probate judge. The com
missioners, the report says, strain the law
badly in order to get in big per diem and
milage charges. In the face OF this fact
the report calls attention to the law Of
! 1894 limiting the compensation of COM
missioners in several counties and says:
Thus in Tuscarawas county, with a
population of 46, 6lS each commissioner,
| from and after January /, 1896, will re-
ceive u salary of $1,000. They are re-
duired to devote all the time that may be
| necessary to attend to all the duties of
the office; and it is expressly provided that
they shall not receive any additional COM
pensation, directly or Indirectly by way
| of expense mileage or otherwise, except
| their necessary expenses while travelling
out of the county on official business
Not only Is their compensation limited
to their salary, but as the board of in
flrmary directors Is abolished in that
county, the commissioners are required to
discharge the duties of those officers.
A similar law applies to Huron county,
with population of 81, 949, and to Erie
county, with population Of 35, 462 in
both of which the commissioners succeed
to the duties of the infrmary directors,
and the salary in each county is limited
to $500 per year each without any addi.
tional allowances except while travelling
out of the county.
In Columbiana county with popula-
ton of 90, 029 the salary of each commits
sioner is limited to 81, 300 year; in Della,
ware, with population of 27, 1S9 the sal
ary Is 81 900 and required to devote his
entire time; in Licking county with a
population of 43,27S, the salary is limit.
ed to 81, 200 year; Seneca county, popu.
lation of 40, $3.50 to $1,000; Wyandot
county population Of 2l, 722 salary OF
$500 and the same in some other counties
AS the compensation and expenses OF
, the commissioners of this county for 1885,
were 81, S05 33, and Of the infirmary direc
tors 500, an aggregate of SO, 505. 33, a law
similar to that CT Tuscarawas, Erie OF
Huron county, made applicable t.
this county, abolishing the board o
, inflrmary directors and devolving theil
{ duties upon the commissioners, with {
, salary limited say to $780, there would b.
a saving Of over 81, 100 each year to tn
, county in the matter of compensation
alone. Besides the commissioners coult
then each be required to devote their tim
8 to the business of the county. AS tn
Q board is now constituted, one of the mem
4 bers, as we are informed, spends larg
a portion of his time In the employ of
DTluBc ppulpuhJs n pohhpON'hV pooiN
commits oners could perform the duties o
: the infrmary directors in this count
= without much additional labor, and per
haps more economically than 1t is nov
a done; and If the laws referred to stan
the tests In the courts, legislation of
similar character should be enacted for thi
county.
The principle aimed at here is SCUM
one. A county commissioners should dc
vote his entire time to the county an
should draw a salary. At the same tim
the Office of infirmary director should b
abolished. But as the commissioners al
very important officials, having in oharg
unusually large business interests, the
should be men of ability as we'll as intel
rity. This being the case their comper
sation should be reasonable, not less tina
81, 500 In county this size. The impo
tant thing Is not TO look too hard at tl
salary but to look very hard at the abtltt
Of the candidate for such responsible
position.
Some republicans hereabouts had a
idea that the democratic party Of ol