The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-05-21
4 ~
NOTICE ! ] |, ]

itrlI2OIl 49, N
| May 9th. 4 9oi
Mr.. Charles Z. Barnes, Collector OF
the City Of Fairmont. Frairmont,5
| w. Va:
are all Of the members of the Finance
Committee of the City of Fairmont. re-
specially invite your immediate con-
sideration of the following matters
pertaining TO the finances Of said city,
viz:
1. AS you are aware. work has been
resumed upon the new city reservoir.
and filter plant, on Log Cabin Kill,
and under the contract by the city
with the persons who are erecting and
constructing said plans very large
sum Of money, probably S25.00c.oo,
will be required to be paid upon said
contract, in addition to the payments
already made thereon, and if this work
is carried on with the speed which
every one now hopes and believes it
viii be, this sum will become payable
before any money is likely to be re-
ceived on the taxes for the year
1904. we are advised that there is
in your hands for collection taxes for
the year 1908. and possibly for other
years, aggregating something like $1O,-
0uO.O0; and further that you have I'M
collected water rents aggregatinS
about $4,000, the two accounts
amounting to S11,000.O0 or S12.000.OO.
We have not been advised as to what
proportion, if any, of these various ac-
counts should be classed as actually
delinquent, yet it is surprising that
such a large percentage OF the taxes
approximately about 25 per cent
should be Withheld from the city, and
the government denied the use of that
money which by right and by law it is
entitled to have. and which it must.
have in order to enable it to fulfill it's
obligations. 1t occurs to us that all
patriotic and law-abiding citizens are
equally interested with the officials of
the city in having all of the contracts
that are Intended to promote the Wei
fare Of the community, faithfully and
honestly carried out, and one way to
dc that is for every citizen and tax
payer to promptly contribute his just
proportion of the burdens of taxation.
Those Of our people who have failed
to thus pay are making it more diff
cult Tor the city authorities to proper
~ discharge their public duties, and
where this failure to pay is due to an
intention upon the part of the tax
payer to embarrass the administra-
ton, or to evade his just proportion of
the public debt, the officers are, in
our humble opinion, justified in having
recourse to the remedies provided by
law for the enforced collection Of
taxes and 1evies.
?. We therefore respectfully call
your attention to the power that IS
conferred upon you, as city collector,
in the charter of lie city, as contain
ed i'll section 20, of chapter i of the
Acts of the Legislature of 1899, which
said section, in part, reads as fol-
lows: ut shall be tue duty Of the city
collector to collect city taxes, license,
levies, assessments, wharfage, water
rents. and such other city claims as
are placed in his hands for collection
by TIE council; in case the same are
not paid on or before the thirty-frst
day of October, after they are placed
i'll his hands for collection, he shall
per centun, per month until the same
are paid, and may distrain and sell
thereof in like manner as the sheriff
may distrain and sell for said taxes
aud he shall have, in all respects, the
SAINT power as the sheriff to enforce
the payment and collection thereof
And we do further call your attention
to the ordinances relating to the water
system of the city, in which it is rro-
vided that upon a failure to pay water
rents within twenty (2Ol days after
&; me becomes due, the city authoTi-
ties are required to disconnect the de
linquent cor sumner from the water sys-
tenn.
In conclusion, we certainly trust
that sufficient funds viii be forthco!n-
ing when needed to discharge the
pressing obligations OF the city, and
IN order to effect this result. the com
11ittee feels that it must have the
earnest cooperation and assistance OF
all of the city officials, yourself among
the number.
Respectfully yours,
GEO. DEBOLT,
w s. RAYMOND,