Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-10
COMMISSIONERS OF THE RE'ESt T.
Should They Dc Appointed or Elect
cd by the People.


To the Editor of the Dispatch:
AS to the method of filling the office OF
commissioner of the revenue in the dit
farent counties. I beg through your val
ued columns to make the following s"s-
gestions:
l. 1t is important that this officer De
allowed to succeed himself and serve
more than one term at time. In ordef 10
discharge the duties Of his office eflsclent-
ly. he is bound to get acquainted Win
all the Taxpayers and citizens IN MS
district and know something about their
affairs It is practically impossible Tor
any one to do this IN an ordinary dis
trict in less than two or three years; 50
a commissioner has to serve one term TO
really qualify him for his office. Ine
people understand this as is shown by the
the fact that commissioners OF the reVe-
nue. have been heretofore, as rule. con-
tinued in office longer by successive cleo
tions than any other class Of officials.
except perhaps county clerks. II they
are not allowed to succeed themselves.
Inconvenience and dissatisfaction VIII al
most certainly result.
2 The constitutional convention. how
ever anticipating that ii elected by the
people. the commissioners of the revenue
might be tempted to swerve from their
duty to the State in order TO gain favor
ing for future support, provided that II
the office were made an elective one. q
commissioner should be ineligible TO sue
coed himself. But the convention left
the mode OF filing the office to the Leg
islature. and put no restriction on
commissioner succeeding himself. II the
office WAS made an appointive one
This they did doubtless anticipating
that it would lead to the office being
filed by appointment and not election.
9. IT, for these resons. the office Is to
be filed by apDnrtment we are then
met by the question as TO who the APP
pointing power shall be. 1t will be noted
that the compensation of commissioners
is In large measure derived from q per-
ccntage on the taxes they assess. Hence.
If they were appointed by some central
State power, such as the Governor or
auditor. or even by a judge who held
court through some five or six cOuu-
ties they would inevitably be under the
temptation of increasing the taxes and
burdens Of the people for their own bene-
fit and emoument while the influences OF
the people OF any particular district
would be too remote to be felt by the
appointing power.
4. On the other hand. 1t will be noted
that the counties for their local pur-
poses. levy more taxes than the State
and have therefore a greater interest
in the assessments than the State. The
Board of Supervisors are specially in
charge Of all the financial interests cf
the counties They are elected every two
years and are in touch with the people
of each district. If incompetent and I'M
satisfactory men get into office as COM
mssioners, the people would quickly make
their influence felt through the super
visors
The writer, therefore. submits that the
only proper and safe solution of the
question which the Legislature now has
before it in regard TO the mode OF filing
these Offices, is to provide for their APP
pontment by the Boards Of Supervisors
OF the several counties.
j. A. EARLY.
Dacen,ha1