The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-14
Statement from City Council.

to the citizens and taxpayers whose
property is liable for the payment of
all debts and demands created against
the corporation. it is but Il matter of
simple justice that every such person
should be informed Of all matters in
regard thereto, and should know to
what extent the municipal officers,
charged with the management of its
affairs, have created IL lien upon their
property.
The present City Council, feeling
sure that the citizens generally do not
City treasury, directed an inyestiga
ton of same and 4 report thereof to
Council.
The said committee reported that the
treasurcrs books showed that there
had been collected by the last Council
for Graded School purposes the sum of
thirty three hundred and sixty-nine
dollars and thirty,-iivc cents (3,369.35)
more than had been expended for
school purposes, which sum of money
should have been on hand the 18th day
Of last August and paid over to the
succeeding Council, to be used to run
the school from its opening this fall
until taxes are collected next February.
lnasmuch as the former Council
turned over to present Council only
S74.33, it must be left to each taxpayer
belongs to the depleted school fund.
The Act of the Legislature providing
for the establishment of the Graded
School, directs i'll section Z thereof, as
follows: THAT all monies assessed
and collected hereunder for school pur-
poses shall be paid by the treasurer of
the city OF Anderson for salaries and
other school purposes upon the warrant
OF cllairmanand secre tary of the Board
of Trustees"
Thus it will be seen that this sum of
S3,369.35, collected by authority of this
Act, could not lawfully be used for any
other than school purposes, nor could
it lawfully be drawn from the treasury
except upon the warrant of the chair
man and secretary of the Board of
trustees. The retiring Council, there
fore, left the City Treasury indebted to
This misapplication of the school fund
will force the Trustees to keep the
Graded School closed until more taxes
can be collected, OF will force the
present City Council to borrow money
to replace this fund, which means the
payment of interest and higher taxes
next February i'll consequence thereof.
Section 8 of the Ordinance to raise
supplies for the city of Anderson for
the year 1893, provides that two mill
tax shall be collected "for tn. current
expenses of the Graded School, which
tax is hereby set apaI for tina, purpose,
and also the further sum of OIL mill on
every dollars worth of real state and
personal property taxable in laid. city.
to pay the annual interest on he school
bonds of said city, which tax is hereby
set apart for the purpose of seid inter
est and for no other. purpose. III this
connection it is timely to say that
81 1,4A.93 was collected under this sec
ton to pay the interest ON the school
bonds, but inasmuch as the interest Mt
@ per cent. on the $4,000 of school
bonds amounts to only $1,000, the re-
firing Council should have turned over
to it's successor $244.98 to the credit of
this fund.
Sect Sections s ) ,aas snd Of the Supply ordi-
ton Of taxes to pay the rental for the
use OF the water works and electric
lights contracted for by the city. each
of which provides that said "tax s,,alI
be kept by the City Treasurer for the
purpose herein specified" respectively.
Inc water bill Is payable semi-annu-
ally, March 1st and. September 1st,
each payment amounting to S2,25O, and
two OF Of Which tall due a'sH March udsea1y ist aSd
September list. On September 1st,
therefore, tho city owed these two
bills, amounting to $1,000 in round
numbers, and yet only $74.35 had been
paid over by the retiring Council is
Gays prlor thereto, out of which to pay
these bills. The present Council,
therefore, had either to let the city
sufficient Sum with which to pay them,
which has, perforce, been done; and
hence taxes will be higher next wear on
account OF past indebtedness. And
yet the treasurer'S books show that
$2,084.99 had been collected for the
payment of the water bill, and $685.. .G6
Tor. the payment of the lighting bill,
which had not been used for thns.s mr.
pOses,a and which, as required by the ordi-
nance above quoted, should have been
III the City Treasury OH August Is, to
be.paid out September 1st, according
to law. In addition to this, there
should have been $514.99 in the treasu-
~ as a balance OIL tho Savannah Val
ley. RallrOad bond and coupon fund,
collected under like conditions MS these
other taxes.
This makes a total of $7,1O9.92 for
which the retiring Council should have
accounted in cash to it's successor; and
this not being done, there was deficit
IN the treasury to that extent. The
present Council will have to restore to
the school, water and lighting funds,
the several amounts due them, namely,
S8,40. This can only be done by Dor
rowing, at interest, which debt, crea-,
ted by the retiring Council, will have
to be met by the taxpayers next year.
The amounts due the Savannah Val
ley Railroad bond and coupon and
school bond funds will not have to be
replaced, though taxes could have been
reduced mill on these two funds next
year, had the balances remaining in
them not been diverted from the pur-
pases for which alone they had been
collected under the law.
There is still another important fact
that the citizens should consider in
justice to the present Council, NAMELY
tnaU tne recurring Council left no money
to meet the current and necessary ex-
penses of conducting municipal affairs
from August 10 to next February, q
period Of about six months. as but lit