The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-26
! SALT. LAKE CITY AND COUNTY.
Year Of Progress Trade Revew-PubIic School Sys-
ten-0ther Advantages.

1t has been demonstrated that the
affairs OF Salt Lake county. which has
a total valuation OF over $400OO,O0O
worth Of taxable property, and q pop
ulation approximating $1,000 souls, are
not easily governed on an economical
scale commensurate with the reduced
revenues and the degree of efficient SER
vice expected by the public. The prob
lematic conditions that confronted the
present board of county commissioners
were brought about in various ways. A
few years back, when prosperity I'M
unprecedented was the peoples portion,
numerous valuable permanent public
Improvements were inaugurated, and III
due course of time these were carried
through to completion. The county s
half of. the joint city and county build
ing represented an expenditure of $780,
GOO The public servants then in office
displayed even greater liberality in inn
proving the county roads In the work
of modernizing the administration Of
county affairs called FOR the eXpendi-
tire OF large sums Of money, and the
changes wrought by statehood swelled
the uneXanlpled expenditures. The re-
suit is found in the accumulated debt,
which is equal to about what the coun-
tvs nalf of the magnificent building
cost.
GETTING ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
from the experience gained, addition
%al legislation was enacted TO prevent
the creation Of further unwieldy indebt-
edness. BY the terms OF the state con-
stitution and the law enacted in pur-
suance thereof, no county is permitted
to create d debt, including existing La
bilities in any year, in excess of the
revenue Of the particular year, unless
by an authorized vote of the taxpayers
and even then the limit is restricted
Obedience to these requirements has
worked no particular hardship upon the
county of Salt Lake, but other coun-
ties in the state have found their LA
bilities in excess of the lawful limit
Almost all OF Salt Lake county's debt
is now included in the issues of $40, 600
of 1920 year 8 per cent bonds.
By the wise and judicious manage
menl of County Commissioners Arm
strong. Rawlins and Hall, the eXpendi-
lures for the year just closing viii be
made to come within the years de-
creased revenues. In addition, there
, viii be $4,000 or $4,000 available for
= the redemption of warrants issued in
1896 and not provided for in the last
issue of bonds. The work of the COM
nnissioners in directing and shaping the
financial interests of the county is GER
considered that the obstacles which
confronted the administration at the
beginning of the year appeared to be
~ complete barrier to the county bust
ness being placed on a cash basis I'M
der the then and prospective condi-
tons
A COMPARISON OF FIGURES.
From the financial statement for the
year 1886, it appears that the receipts
from al sources, exclusive of q balance
of some $4,000 on hand at the begin
Ming of thc year. were 1921, sos so, and
the disbursements by warrant issues
for tie same period, $3.50, 40 %. OF this
latter amount, $30.77S represented pay
Inents CT excess claims created in 1884
and validated in June, 1886 In addition
however, $50, 656 was paid out on war
rants earning from the county annual
interest al the rate OF s per cent, al
though a sma4 portion called for pei
cent.
Estimates made for the year on the
basis of accurate figures for the eleven
months of this year warrant the com
missioners in fixing the county revenue
for 1897 at about 1892. GOO and declaring
that the expenditures shall not exceed
SlS0. eco. leaving in the treasury a sur
plus of about S12,0o0 at the end of the
year
In comparison with The figures OF
1896. the work of the present county
administration shows an appreciable
amount IF consideration for the tax
payers ahd due regard Tor the inter-
ests Of all who have business with the
COUNTY