Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-12-14
County Finances.

In this issue appears the annual
statement OF the receipts and expend-
itures of Fergus county for the fiscal
year ending December LIST, 1895.
The figures there given will lie read
with interest by every taxpayer, es-
pecially since the report shows a
healthy condition and hat the county
expenditures and debt are being de-
creased year by year.
A brief review OF the more impor-
tant figures is not inappropriate.
The total expenditures for the fical
year ending December LIST, 1897, were
sos, 06l .l6, while for the year last past
they were $47 ,095.57, a decrease of
81, 800. 80 or about II per cent. This
decrease was in every fund except
one. being divided as follows: S4,011,-
40 in the general fund, 81, 705, % in the
$763.lS in the poor fund. The only
increase is an insignificant Sc in the
institute fund.
This decrease in expenditures has
been brought about by care on the
part of the commissioners and every
officer in the court house, which, al
most without exception. are Republi-
cans. The expenses can hardly be
further decreased without working
an injury to county business or neg
Letting needed improvements.
Next to the expenditures in point
- f,,+,,.zt =, Vh, ,,,,atr .lnIt aud
while the bonds outstanding remain
the same, Sl03, 900, none of these
bonds being available for payment
at this time. the net debt has been
decreased $S,174.7j from the figures
reported by the county clerk Deem
Der LIST, 1897.
Always in connection with this
subj ct it is proper to mention that
a report of the county's financial
condition dated December LIST, is very
misleading as to the county debt, for
the reason that at that time Il large
proportion of the taxes for the ensu-
inc year have not been paid and the
expenses for the three preceding
months have not been ii%quidated. 1t
is earnestly hoped the next legisla-
ture will alter the time for making
this annual report so as to obviate
this difficulty. January LIST is the
natural and proper time.
But for comparative purposes the
figures given in Mr.. kelly's report
will answer, and these show a de-
crease in the net debt, as before stat
ed. of SSH 10. In "a note thecounty
clerk says that on Dec. l there was
due the county in unpaid taxes about
49,, 900, which. being an honest asset,
should be figured i'm the report.
though h law does not SO provide.
S~ubtracting this sum from the net
debt as given ($72.430 72), shows the
indebtedness t % be but $3S, S3O.72 a
very small amount for a county with
an assessed valuation OF $4,519,5S5
However, this figure is not correct,
for Ia bills allowed by the commits
at their last session for ex-
penses from Sept. ia Dec. ] are not
included, as they should be, to reach
the actual financial condition, and of
the total amount of these We are not
informed at this writing.
So perhaps it is better to accept
the clerks figures and consider the
county debt $72,43O.7 y, a decrease of
SS,l14 80 from that of IL year ago.
The total assessed valuation was
1916, 1927 this year over 1897 and the
county taxes were the same. In
school districts Nos. l, 6, IA, 10, u
and 2S there were special levies, the
largest of these being in District No. l,
where the special levy was 6 mills
this year against 81 mills in 1897, but
for these district levies h commits
sioners are i'm no way responsible. In
the Lewistown district there was
also a levy OF 2 mills for a fire fund
money easily raised and for a good
purpose.
Withal taxpayers of Ferguscounty
will find the report gratifying and
the commissioners may look with
satisfaction upon the beneficial re-
s,lta ,,f thair first yenr's work