The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-23
WHAT COLLECTOR
OF TAXES GETS
Council Considering Reduction Of
Commission Paid Him by
One-Fifth.
TURPIn RESOLUTION PASSED
Finance Committee Instructed to
Secure and Report Data as
to Office,
TURPIn RESOLUTION PASSED

President William NJ. Turpin. OF thu
Board Of Aldermen. is after the Ctt'
Collectors Office. and has Just had pass
ed a resolution instructing the Finance
Committee to ascertain the gross com
pensations Of the collector. and tn.
names Of the permanent and the tran
sient employees of the office and various
other data. and to report same to either
branch of the council.
The purpose of tho resolution Is t.
ascertain definitely Just what the com
pensation of the collector for the veal
1905 was, after the payment OF all the
expenses OF administering the office
An ordinance is now pending in com.
mittee proposing to reduce the com
mission of the collector from FIVE
Fights Of one per cent. to one-half OF
one per cent.
The Resolution.
AS will be seen from the full text
Of the resolution asking for tnforma-
ton, the office Of the collector OF de-
linouent taxes Is included in the scope
OF this inquiry:
BE 1t resolved by the Board of
Aldermen OF the city of Richmond,
That the Committee on Finance be,
and 1t Is hereby, instructed TO make
tho following inquiries and report
to the next regular meeting of this
body,
LIST. Tho gross compensation re-
ceived by the City Collector of
taxes during the year.
ed. The names of the permanent
employees in his office and the COM
pensntion paid each one.
Sd. The names OK the persons
temporarily employed during the
entire year and tho compensation
paid each one.
9TH. Tho sum Of money paid by
the collector as premium ON his
bond.
9Th. The sum paid by him for In.
cidental expenses, itemixinE tho
same as far az possible.
81 9th. That like Inquiries he made
with reference to the collector of
delinquent taxes.
7th. The above Inquiries as to
both Offices, however, shall only
relate to the year 1000.
What the Report Shows.
ton and asked for statement, Col.
lector Cunningham said that he had
not seen the paper before. hut that
there was nothing for him to say or
the subject. He picked up a copy Of
his printed report and pointed out the
items, amount paid treasurer" on real
and personal property taxes, licences
pipe connections, paving and grading
and stated that the gross commissions
Of the office amounted to f1ye-eights OF
one per cent. OF the total. The total
amount paid the treasurer by the col
lector during 1906 Is Sl,4l5, 452,93. Five
Fights OF one per cent. of this sum Is
$S,s5910, and deducting $4,000 from
that sum, leaves the approximate net
compensation of the collector about
$5.350.l0 for he year 1906.
Captain Cunningham directed atten-
ton to the large number of delinqupnt
bills which his office had to make out
and turn over to the collector of de-
linquent taxes, for which service there
was no commission save that already
referred to as derived from payments
to the treasurer He said that the
compensation of tho collector had been
reduced a few years ago from seven
eighths of one per cent, to ftve-eighths,
and that 1t was now proposed to re-
duce this another eighth.
There Is some question as to the
right of tho council to decrease the
COMPENSATION OF the collector during
his term of Office. Some lawyers cons
tend that the city has this right but
Captain Cunningham asserts the con-
trary view OF the matter The colleo-
tor Is selected by the people for spool
DC term and at q specified compensa'