Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-03-03
MER|T0R|0US
MEASURE.
The Miller County Classification
and Salary Bill Should Be
Enacted Into Law.
MANY GOOD POINTS
1t Combines the Advantages Of the Fee
System With Those Of the Straight
Pay Method.

A meritorious measure that will q,
far towards gaining the cooperation
OF county officials with the territoria
ofhcers to enforce an equitable system
Iof assessments and of tax collection
throughout the Territory, was intro
duced in the Council yesterday b,
Hon. Charles e. Miller of Dona An;
County. The bill is neither lengthy
nor complicated. 1t provides that the
salaries and fees of county officers
shall be based upon the amount of tax
es actually collected. For that pur
pose the counties are divided into five
classes, counties of the first class be-
ing those whose tax collections annu.
ally exceed $4,000; counties of the
second class those whose tax collec.
tions amount from $27, 900 to $35, 900; ;
counties of the third class those
whose collections are from $4,000 to
$27 900; counties of the fourth class
from $4,000 to $4,000; and counties
of the fifth class under $4,000. The
fees of the assessor are to be four per
cent of the taxes actually collected on
the assessment he has made; those
of the collector four per cent of the
taxes actually collected. County COM
missioners are to receive the follow
ing salaries: Counties of the first
class $500; counties of the second
class $500; counties Of the third class
$500. counties of the fourth class $500;
counties of the fifth class 5000, and
mileage of five cents per mile for not
exceeding twenty annual meetings
Probate judges are to receive the fol-
lowing salaries under the act: First
class $500; second class $500: third
class $500; fourth class $3.50: fifth
class 5000; probate clerks, first class
$1,000; second class $3.50; third class
5000. fourth and fifth classes $4O0;
colhty school superintendents, first
class $1500; second class $1,000;
third class 5000; fourth and fifth class.
es $4OO.
Based upon the tax collections for
the past fiscal year. the following
would be first class countless: Berna.
lilo with collections of $40, 1856; San
Miguel $39.933.23; Chaves $685. .66;
Colfax $37,771.66. The only county of
the second class would be Grant with
last year of $34,708.38.
Counties Of the third class would be:
Eddy $24,3O5.51; Union $23212.37;
Dona Ana $23,094.46; Socorro $685.
o76.35. Counties of the fourth class
would be: Luna $19.6Ss.6S; Otero
s1S,3O9.3S; Santa Fe $18,239.14; Sierra
ST. 7168.41; Valencia $16,13425; Lin
coin SIS. .303.62; counties of the fifth
class: Mckinley $13,02819; Mora
s10,4S4.49; Rio Arriba $9.969.77: Leon
ard Wood $S.SS361; Sandoval
b7,1Ss63; Roosevelt $7.O92O2; Taos
b6,74421; San Juan $6,65324; and
Quay $6,027.63.
The plan proposed by Mr. Miller
mites all the good points of the fee !
system with the advantages of the
straight salary method. The following 4,
s the text of the bill:
"An Act regulating the classification
If counties and fixing the salaries of
certain county officials thereof.
BE it enacted by the Legislative AS.
sembly of the Territory of New Mex.
icos
Section /. Whenever any county
Vt this Territory shall remit to the ter
itorial treasurer thirty-flve thousand
lollars or over, during any one year,
he same being the proceeds of the
collections from the territorial levy
or the year in question, such county
hall be deemed county Of the first
lass. Over twenty-seven thousand
nd under thirty-five thousand dollars,
county of the second class; over
wenty thousand and under twenty-sev-
n thousand dollars county of the
bird class; over fifteen thousand and
nder twenty thousand dollars, coun-
Y of the fourth class, and under flf.
cen thousand dollars a county Of the
fifth class. The connections herein
iven are based upon levy of fifteen
nd one-half Us 1-2) mills.
Section 2. The county commission
RS Of the several counties of this Ter
itory shall receive the following COM
ensation: '
For counties of the first class $500
er annum; for counties of the second
lass $500 per annum; for counties of
he third class $4O0 per annum; for
ounties Of the fourth class $500 per K
mum; for counties of the fifth class
200 per annum; and five cents per
lille for each mile actually and neces- {
arily travelled in going to and from i
egular meetings Of such boards. Is
Provided, that the meetings Of said /,
cards shall not exceed twelve in num-
er In each year.
Section 8. The probate Judges OF l
le several counties of this Territory &