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

TO the C1C1ZcIS illu lttApiy clS Nlooo
property is liable for the payment OF
all debts and demands created against
the corporation, it is but a 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 d0 not
understand the present status OF the
City Treasury, directed an lnvestlSa-
ton Of same and report thereof to
Council.
The said committee reported that the
treasurer's books showed that there
had been collected by the last Council
for Graded School purposes the sum OF
thirty-three hundred and siXty-nlne
dollars and thirty-tivc cents (3,360.35)
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.
Inasmuch as the former Council
turned over to present Council only
S74.35, it must be left to each taxpayer
to estimate what portion of this Sl4.3o
belongs to the depleted school fund.
The Act of the Legislature providing
for the establishment OF the Graded
School, directs in secti0n7 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 chairman and secre tary OF the Board
of Trustees"
Thus it will be seen that this sum Of
So, ,369.35, collected by authority OF this
Act, could not lawfully be used for any
other than school purposes, nor could
itlawfully 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
the school fund in the sum of So, 1866. .35.
This misapplicatiOn of the school fund
will force the Trustees to keep the
Graded School closed until more taxes
can be collected, or will force the
present City Council to borrow money
to replace this fund, which means the
payment of interest and higher taxes
next February in 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 the current
expenses of the Graded School, which
tax is hereby set apart for thatpurpose,
and also the further sum of one mill on
every dollars worth of real estate and
personal property taxable in said city.
to Day the annual interest on the school
bonds of said city, which tax is hereby
set apart for the purpose of said inter
est and for no other purpose" In this
correction it is timely to say that
81, ,444. .93 was collected under this sec
ton to pay the interest on the school
bonds, but inasmuch as the interest at
6 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 S244.93 to the credit OF
this fund.
Sections 4 and 5 of the Supply Ordi-
tion 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 shall
be kept by the City Treasurer for the
purpose herein specified" respectively
The water bill is payable semi-annu-
ally, March 1st and September list
each payment amounting to S2,25O, anc
the lighting bills are payable quarterly
two of which fall due March 1st anC
September list. On September LIST
therefore, the city owed these two
bills, amounting to $4,000 in rounc
numbers, and yet only S74.35 had beer
paid over by the retiring Council 1;
days prior thereto, out of which to pay
these bills. The present Council
therefore, had either to let the city
default OH these payments or borrow ;
sufficient sum with which to pay them
which has, perfOrcc, been done; ant
hence taxes will be higher next year OF
account of past Indebtedness. Ant
vet the treasurerS books show thai
S2,0S4.99 had been collected for tht
payment Of the water bill, and $685. q
for the payment of the lighting bill
which had not been used for these epnr
pOsscS,ttllu w NliINli.dS wv iilV.iDf t'iS oANA
nance above quoted, should have bccl
in the City Treasury Oh August -, t.
bc-paid out September 1st, accortiln:
to law. In addition to this, there
should have been s514.99 in the treasrl
ry asa balance on the Savannah Val
ley Railroad bond and coupon fund
collected under like conditions us tles'
other taxes.
This makes a total of $7,109.92 fo
which the retiring Council should have
accounted in cash to its successor; ant
this not being done, there was detici
in the treasury to that extent. Th'
present Council will have to restore tt
/ the school, water and lighting funds
the several amounts due them, namely
$6,340. This can only be done by Dor
rowing, at interest, which debt, crca
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 an(
school bond funds will not have to b.
replaced, though taxes could have beer
reduced ! mill on these two funds mex
year, had the balances remaining II
them not been diverted from the pur
passes for which alone they had beer
collected under the law.
There is still another important fac
that the citizens should consider il
justice to The present Council, namely
that the retiring Council left no none.
to meet the current and necessary ex
I pcnses of conducting municipal affairs
from August Is to next February, ;
period of about six months. as but lit
tie taxes are paid before the middle O
February, excepting what may b'
paid i'll fines, licenses and by the dis
pensary in that time, the city will hav.
to borrow enough money to meet sucl