Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-07-20
Report Of the Auditors Appointed
by the Court to Make the
Required Examinations.
RECEIPTS LESS THAN EXPENSES
A Very Material Amount of Un-
collected Taxes Is Also
Shown - Interesting
Figures for County
Taxpayers.

day their report of their inspection
of the accounts of the county comp.
troller and receiver of taxes and county
treasurer for the year from January
4th, 1898, to January 3, 1899.
From the report are taken the follow
ing:
The tax levy for county purposes for
1898 aggregated $3.50, 1873. 9S; made up
as follows: County, 1924, 224; poor,
S44, GAIT; capitation, SIG, 269; dog,
80, 676 so; investment county's sharel,
S13, 278 SO; road, S36, GAG. So; negro
school Wilmington, 1894. so; total,
$3.50, 133. 90.
The total levy of Investment tax was
S37, $50. 3S, of which 50, 1877. 80 was for
the State Of Delaware, S13, 2TS. 80, as
stated above, for New Castle county,
and sl4, 734. IL for the city of Whining
ton.
There remained to tho credit Of the
January 4th, 1898, the sum of slo3,-
028. 39, constituting. as far as could be
ascertained on that date, the current
liabilities of the county. The appro-
priations for the year 1893 amounted to
$40, 176. 70, after all transfers had been
made, and with the balances remain
ing over from 1897, made the total
amount available for 1898, $443, 205. 0S.
The allowances during the latter year
were S3l8, 420. 81, leaving appropriated
funds on January 3D., 1893, subject to
allowances, aggregating al25, 649, so.
The bonded debt on January 4th,
1893, amounted to 1856, 800. There was
paid during 1893, SIC, 600 of the Loan
for benefit of the Trustees of the Poor"
and $40, 600 of the LOAN for Funding
Floating Debt No. L." reducing the
total funded indebtedness to $500, 800.
The balance in the treasury at the
beginning of the year was 800, 615. rs,
| divided into general funds available
for general county expensesl 1913, 81. 90,
road tax So, 472. "a, and negro school
tax 81, 23l.75. The receipts of all kinds
during the year were county and poor
taxes, s24S, $40. OIL; capitation, 1881. SO
dog, 1895. AZ; investment, So, lis. "a :
road, s31, 206 SO; negro school, 81, 1888. % ;
and miscellaneous items s34, 1856. IA, in
Guiding sl4. 900 received from the sure
ties of John j, Dougherty, collector Of
Wilmington hundred in 1890 and $40,
1856. 48 registration fees. The total re-
ceipts we're 1926, 1855. The disburse-
ments for all purposes amounted to
1858, 1923. 80. OF this sum 1916. 522. 81
were general funds, 81. 623. 81 invest
ment tax paid to the State of Delaware
and the city of Wilmington and fol
commissions to the county treasurer,
49,, 5t5. as road tax, and 81, S12. SO negro
school tax. There remained in the
treasury at the close of the year S72,
6S7.3l. divided !. into general fund.-
S67 277. %, Investment tax to be appor
toned 1886. 63, road tax 81. 113. So ant
negro school tax $757. 80, all deposited
in the Farmers Bank, Wilmington.
RECEIPTS NOT EQUAL TO EXPENDITURES
1t is established beyond question b,
the state of the accounts examined tina
the receipts of the county, for NOR,
than four years past, have not beer
equal to the current expenditure. II
respect to the ordinary receipts from
taxes, it is evident that either tn,
assessment on which the TAX levy i
laid is unreliable or the collection
have not heretofore been made will
that promptness and thoroughness tina
the needs of the county would seem t.
demand.
The comptroller's books showed Of
January 4th, 1898, that there were un
paid balances due from collectors an,
uncollected taxes in the hands of tn
collectors, amounting to S256, 5SS. 55, a
follows: Taxes, 1876, $751;. Ga; 1888
81. 051, 80; 1890, SIG, 442. or; 1891, $40,
Los; 1892, s3l, oils 1893, s14,
262. SIS; 1894. $40, SS4.95; 1895, 500,
436. SO; 1896, S32, 1926. Al; 1897, sos,
GAO. So; total, 1856, 5sS, So.
During 1893 there was collected on
Of the taxes stated above, 500, I'll. "a
I Judgments to the amount of 81, 253.
were obtained against taxpayers in VII
J mington, and there was charged o.
! SIS, 682 65, leaving balances of ope
! accounts with the receiver of taxes an
collectors prior to 1898 to the amour
of s106, 941.06,
The report gives figures which sho'
: deficit of $40, 720. 20 for 1895, Of 500,
J 739, SO for 1896, of S13. 100 GO for 1887
} and SIG, 633. 81 for 1896, total {
, $50, s24.30.
The extraordinary receipts fror
January LIST, 1895, to January 4th
: 1899, include these items; 1896, ba
ance' in treasury. Sl7, s27s7; Waite
Washington brigde. $4,000; temporar
, loan from Farmers Bank, $4,000
1896, temporary loan from Farmer
!
T from FIRST National Bank, s25, OoC
7 from the Misses Latimer. S25, o0C
! proceeds of bonds for funding floatin
debt No. 8, including premium and il
terest, S158, 361. 81; total, S256, $50. "a.
The extraordinary disbursements
including interest and amounts of ten
9 porary loans left a surplus Of extra
9 ordinary receipts of S14S, 101.52. d.
s Quoting from this the $50, 1924 30 defic
T, in ordinary receipts, leaves S67, 37T. {
balance in treasury January Sd last.
LARGE TOTAL OF uNCoLLEcTEp TAXES
The taxes of all kinds on JanuaI
I, Sd, 1899, unaccounted for by the co
leotors, amounted to $3.50, 632. 08.
. will be observed that part of tn
= large sum is due from the collectors I
delinquent taxes for 1895 and 1881
whose direct accountability to Il
county for the amounts placed in the
hands for collection has been and, "
understand, is still an open question
a We directed attention to this questic
!. in our report of last year.
4 The auditors give, from the best il
4 formation obtainable, statement
n the resources and liabilities OF IL
4 county on account of general fund
4 January Sd, 1899. The items are:
' Balances due from collectors for ii
= years 1876, 1858 and 1890, amountir
\ to So, 933. Is; uncollected taxes for 1879
q 1886, 1887 and 1898, aggregating Sl63
II 1880 the oounty's share of inves
v ment tax in the hands Of the Treasure
for distribution 1897. 81; iudgmen
against delinquent taxpayers Of 18l
and 1896, 81, 253. So; subscription
j, toward building the Washingtt
IS bridge, S2,575 certificate Of indebte'
d ness of the Mechanics Loan Associ