The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-18
COULD NOT CONTRIBUTE
County Cannot Pay Anything to
the Fire Fund.
THERE Is NO AUTHORITY
A Special Tax May Be Imposed by the
Commissioners in Order to Provide
the Necessary Fire Protec-
ton for the Towns.

The county commissioners yesterday
came to the conclusion that, as the mat
ter now stands, the county could not
contribute toward the maintenance Of
the city fire department or to pay for
fire protection to property lying outside
the city limits. The commissioners dis
cussed the matter very thoroughly yes
terday morning, and looked up the law,
but could find nothing that would au-
thorze them to take money out of the
general fund of the county for that pur-
pose, although they We're unanimous in
the opinion that the county could well
afford to contribute something.
However, they argued, to take money
out of the general fund would be to
compel the people in Divide, Melrose
and the remotest parts of the county to
pay a proportion while they received
no benefit, which would be manifestly
unjust. The board, however, found
provision of law under which "a special
tax may be levied on the protected dis
tricts of the county, provided the city
refused to extend fire protection 10
them. This provision of the law is con-
tanned in Section 3237 of the political
code, which reads as follows:
The board of county commissioners
are authorized to establish the fire linn
its in any unincorporated town or vii
Idge, ana at Ine Tune o1 tie dIillud1 levy
of taxes may levy special tax upon all
the property within such limits for the
purpose of buying apparatus and main.
tanning the fire department of any such
town or village, and such tax must be
collected as are other taxes
The commissioners think that this law
can be made to apply to additions lying
outside the city limits. but the commits
sioners can take no action on it except
upon petition of the residents of those
portions of the city, and 1t is not likely
that they would ask to have an extra
tax levied on their property unless they
were compelled To do SO by the city
Nithdra wing its protection, in which
event they would be forced to appeal
TO the commissioners. or. perhaps, better
STILL petition the city 10 be taken into
the corporation. The commissioners in
structed the clerk to notify the city
council of the decision arrived at in the
matter.
The city's proposition or rather the
offer of j. A. Murray, to pay $1,000 to
square the delinquent taxes on a num-
Der of lots in the Railroad addition, was
also discussed by the commissioners ana
the matter was referred TO County
Treasurer Kinds to ascertain the amount
of tax delinquent and the parties TO
whom the property was sold at the tax
sale. Upon the face of it the proposition
was not considered good one by the
commissioners, as it was their opinion
| that a large amount of the property was
| sold to different parties and would have
! to be redeemed by the county, and that
| the redemption would most likely very
! much exceed the 81 900 offered by Mr.
Murray, which would be losing enter
/ prise for the county
/ The citys claim that it was entitled
| to a share of the road tax collected by
| the county was also considered by the
| commissioners yesterday and they came
/ to the conclusion that the law did not
| contemplate that the city should share
| in it. The city officials also represented
| that the city itself was exempt from the
| read tax. and there is some warrant III
| law for holding So as one section of the
| code says property i'll the city is cX.
! empt from the tax, but another says il
/ shall he levied on all property in the
county, and on this latter provision the
county commissioners acted when they
made the levy.
| The clerk was instructed TO advertise
for bids to furnish the county with 25(
cords of wood. Each bid must be ac-
companied with a certified check for $10(
/ as guarantee of good faith.