Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-01-31
LEVY COURT MUST RAISE MONEY.


Its Predecessor Made Contracts which
Had Not Been Provided for in Budget.
The fact that the Levy Court, which
has held office less tn an a mon tn, is
already considering the adrisability Of
bond issue to p4y for a contract made
BY the old Levy Court, ranle'y that for
building Seventh street bridge, il bring
Ing about a realization OF the truth OF
the statement that after the sowing
there comes time for reaping. The
new court will reap the harvest OF in.
debtedness, the seed of which was
planted by the old. An important con :
sideration back of the announcement
is that it means that the old Levy
Court did not live within it's Income.
That it was not going to do 30 was
made clear at the time In the columns
of Every Evening.
In the annual budget adopted by the
Levy Court for the year beginning
July lst last, appropriations OF S2ss, 800
were made out Of expected receipts Of
1906, 594. 81. This left unappropriated
funds Of 81, 9i.37; yet this amount
may be considered as not existing for
the reason that the oapitation tax of
Sl3; 5S2 and the Adams investment tax
OF ST., 4ll.5G, which were counted by
the court in the total revenue, are very,
very uncertain. All the rest of the
money was appropriated and according
to common experience will be consumed
in the fixed channels.
The court, therefore. had no certain
surplus in prospect, and yet since the
adoption of the annual budget. which
was to govern the county until July 1st
next, it made contracts for about
s42, 600 of work. This was divided as
follows.
Seventh street bridge, $25. 900, Patrick
Fahey, contractor.
Silver Run road, $4,000, Patrick
Fahey, contractor.
Marshallton bridge over Red Clay
Creek, "a $50, Edge Moor Bridge Co.,
contractor.
The Seventh street bridge will cost
something more than s25, 900 before it
is completed; one additional item is
the salary of Former Commissioner
Henry M. White as inspector.
The Marshallton bridge also stands
for larger expense, it is believed,
than simply the contract price.
All these amounts 1t will be remem-
bered were not provided for in the an
Every Evening of September 9th last,
in discussing the new items, POSSIBLY
sons of this $4,000 may be left as a
legacy to be paid by the successors to
the present Levy Courtmen." At that
time, the court had decided 10 expend
&c. 900 on Silver Run road, but it
afterwards expended $4,000, which
brings the figures up to about $40, 900
as total.
The fulfilment OF that prophecy is
in prospect, for the court is already
thinking of a way to raise money
towards the Seventh street bridge
item, and unless the new members can
save a good deal on the other appropri-
ations in the annual budget, they will
probably have to arrange for deficit
caused by the extra expenditures for
the Marshallton bridge and Silver Run
road. To get bond issue, authority
must be secured from the Legislature.
The failure Of the old court to live
within its income raises the question
OF the advisability of legislation to re
strict it to expenditures proposed in
the annual budget aud to limit the ap-
propriations in any one year to the
amount of the revenue expected in that