The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-10-01
COUNTY FINANCES.


party enthusiasm gets the best o
their cooler jugdment. But cam
pagins are beneficial to the public il
many ways. They serve the purpos,
of educating the people in publ,
affairs and make the politicians anC
office holders respect their wishes
They bring out facts regarding tn,
management of the public bushes,
and show up the short comings 81
officers who have been entrusted witt
that business. The newspaper ol
individual who offers criticism Of til,
acts Of public officials must deal in
facts to accomplish any good. The
Press has previously criticised the
administration Of county affairs. n
stated that the tax levy, together
with the raise ia the assessed valua.
tlon OF property had made an increase
OF about one per cent in the taxes
levied BY the commissioners. We
nave charged the commissioners with
gross mismanagement in county busi-
ness and called attention to the ever
growing taxes and increasing warrant
Indebtedness. These are matters in
which the people are deeply interest
ed regardless OF party ties. 1t is TO
their interest that such things should
be remedied and it is the aim OF the
Press to inform them Of the true con.
ditions. Our statements have been
cOntradicted by the North Idaho
News, the organ OF the board OF
county commissioners and their de,
fender. We stated that the tax levy
this year would be "A mills on the
dollar, or four and four .tenths per
cent aud the News explains this by
saying that we were figurinQ the
taxes .0f Occur q vAlene and not the
county generally Let us sas. Inc
general levy l. ST mills aud We win
add ta this eight mills special road
tax and five mills special school tax.
which is about the average. although
j. varies IN different districts. some
levyiuE q tax Of about = mills while
Others may have no special tax, but
the average ID about i've mills. Add
these to the general levy and we have
a tax of "A mills, which UFonertv
holders outside the towns will be
compelled to pay Or We may omit
these special taxes and there is still
an increase from p mills last year
70 81 this year. Add to this raise
Of from 2O'to 25 per cent in the as.
sessed valuation Of cattle, merehan
disc and other property and the tax
payer will find more Of an increase
than VS. have claimed when be goes
% pay his taxes. So far a. the town
OF Occur 'Alene j. concerned the
tax levy this year is over five per
cent an amount greater than money
loans for ia the east With gond
security. Here are the figures for
the voter to ponder over The general
county levy is 81 mills, the special
school levy for the Occur d'Aleue
district Is , mills and the town lew
i 10 mills, making a total tax of 81
mills or 5.i per cent on the dollar
OF assessed valuation, 30 that it will
be seen that the residents Of this city
are taxed much higher than those of
the country districts and that we are
not basing our statements on the city
a. claimed By the News. II any Of .
our republican friends do not think
the taxes are now high enough they
ought to vote the republican ticket
this fall aud secure another increase
next year, for it will come az certain
a. the year rolls around. Do you ask
Why: We will tell you.
The outstanding warrant indebted.
ness has reached at the present time
$780, 900 and the October session
OF the board Of county commissioners
will increase it to SITI, 900, with no
money in the treasury 10 pay the
claims. This will be augmented by
one Of the longest aud most ex-
Tensive terms Of court ever held in
the county, with ten criminal cases
on the docket and no end to the
costa. The levy Of 2.5 miIls for
warrant redemption fund will raise
sl5, 900 a. claimed by the News,
but that will still leave in outstand
ing warrants 1885, 900 to be paid
later and one can readily see that it
will require the bonding of the county ,
or higher tax levy to wipe out this
debt. Either one Of which affects the ,
pocketbook Of the taxpayer for /
which the present republican admin {
stration is responsible. Both the :
North Idaho News and the Panhandle ,
News have mathematical methods ,
hat are new to us when they figure q
hat levy Of 209 mills will raise
out sl5, 600 from an assessed vaIua- {
ion Of 60, 600, 600. When we vent