The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-08
AUDITING COUNTY BOOKS
YESTERDAY MARKED ENFORCE
MENT OF THE NEW LAW.
Provisions for Allowance of Claims
Very Rigid-Citizen or Taxpayer
May Contest Them I'm Court.

Yesterday was the first day for the en-
forcement throughout tho State of the new
law passed by the last Legislature requir-
ing a thorough auditing of the books of the
county treasurers and auditors. The law
provides that in counties of over fifty thou
SAND inhabitants the commissioners shall
meet every month, and in the other coun-
ties upon the first Monday of March June,
september and December of each year. Yes
terday was the first regular meeting in the
smaller counties since the law went into eff
feet It's provisions for auditing and for
the allowance of claims are very rigid They
are as follows:
Section 2. The said boards OF commits
sioners in the several counties OF this State
shall at the first of each regular session
audit the books of the county treasurer
and county auditor in their respective coun-
ties and compare the allowances made bv
the said board at the preceding session, with
the stubs, voucher or register of the war
rants drawn by the auditor in payment of
such allowances, and shall also examine all
warrants rendered by the county treasurer
and turned over to the county auditor and
for which he claims creu4., with the CORE
spending stubs, voucher or register and
see that such warrants are properly can
celed SO that they cannot again be put in
circulation, and see that a proper counting
has been had between such officers of such
funds.
Sec 8. 1t shall be unlawful for any
board of commissioners in any county in
TINS State, or for any member thereof, to
make any allowance or to allow any claim
against such county, or order the issue of
any county order or warrant for the pay
ment of any sum of money except at a
regular or special meeting of said board
and it shall be unlawful for any county au-
ditor to draw or issue to any person any
warrant or county order for the payment
of any claim against such county, except
the same has been allowed by the board of
commissioners of SUCH county while in reg
ular or special session by a court of
competent Jurisdiction that nothing herein
shall affect the issuing of warrants; relating
to the common or congressional school
funds or insanity inquestS.
Sec. 4. No claim shall be allowed by the
board of commissioners of any county in
this State unless such claims, duly itemzed
and verified by the claimant or some one
in his behalf, shall have been filed in the
auditors office of the proper county, and
by him placed on the claim docket at least
five days before the first day of the regu-
lar or special session Of such board, pro-
Ytded that nothing herein shall prevent the
board from issuing warrants at the close
of any term for the payment of money due
officers of the commissioners court for
services rendered at such term; provided,
claims for services as road or highway
viewers. may be allowed at the session at
which they are filed.
Sec. 5. Any county auditor or any mem
Der OF the board of commissioners violating
any of the provisions of this act shall upon
conviction thereof, be fined in any sum not
less than $50 for each offense, and any
such auditor shall be liable on his official
DOllu uOuDle the amount OF Such warrant
so drawn, which may be recovered by any
taxpayer of the county on giving security
for costs, of the use and benefit of such
county, and the court trying the same shall
allow such taxpayer d reasonable compen-
sation, including reasonable attorneys fees
for the trouble and expense incurred in
prosecuting such suit, to be named in the
order and payable only out of the money
recovered.
Sec. g. ANY citizen and taxpayer of any
county in this State, at any time within
sixty days after the allowance of any claim
after demand made upon the board of COM
missioners of the county and refusal by
them, may in his own name on giving bond
for the COSTS prosecute and maintain for
the use and benefit of said county the
proper suit for the recovery of any illegal
unwarranted or unauthorized allowance
made by such board, and the court trying
the same shall make such person bringing
such suit such reasonable allowance to be
named in order will reimburse MIN for
the trouble had and expense incurred in
prosecuting such suit, including reasonable
attorneys fees, to be paid only out of such
money as may be recovered.
Sec. Z. The provisions of this act shall
not apply to counties having a population
of 100000 or more, according to the census
of $780,