Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-21
Committee of Supervisors Com
pletes Work and Submits Re-
suits to the Public.
SURFACE FACTS ONLY GIVEN
No Attempt Made to Justify Items
and Little Not Heretofore
Published Is Shown.


ton to the financial condition of the
county. This statement has been sub.
mitted to the newspapers of the coun-
ty for publication and is also to be
submitted to the voters in the form1of
a circular soon
The explanation of county finances,
as given out by the board, contains
little that has not been published here
tofore. 1t states the average expen-
ditures, and shows where the revenues
are derived, but it does not show that
the expenses listed are the results of
a wide business like administration of
county affairs by the different officers
Nor does it explain various problems
in the minds of the voters relative to
this tax question. In fact it is little
more than a beginning. Possibly it
would require an expert auditors
services to analyze the situation as il
needs Analysing, but, as has been in
Dictated at various times by The Ar
gus, any citizen may with little trou-
BILE find indications of bad business
methods at least in handling of the
county funds.
Statement of Committee.
The committee submits the follow
ing:
The finance committee of the board
of supervisors of Rock island county.
acting under instructions from the
board, hereby submit to the taxpayers
and voters of the county the following
reasons for the inability of the county
to meet its financial obligations from
the funds raised by the constitutional
limit of rate of taxation of Is cents
on each 800 valuation of taxable
property.
Section s, article VIII. of the consti
tuition of 1870 provides that county
authorities shall never assess taxes
the aggregate of which shall exceed
IS cents per 500 valuation, except fol
| the payment of Indebtedness existing
at the adoption of this constitution
| unless authorized by a vote of the
people of the county
This is the only tax rate limited
| by the constitution and which canno
| be increased except by amending the
| constitution
| And at that time the law required
property to be assessed at it's full fai
cash value and we find from the rec
ord that the assessment in 1875 TO
instance upon which taxes were eX
tended was $10,127, 676, and the count,
tax raised on same was $70,974. Ii
1907 the valuation upon which take;
were extended was $10,279 1853 and tn
county tax was $77,197.33. The rev
enue law was changed in 1899 requil
ing property to be appraised at full
value and one-fifth of that amour
used for taxation.
I'm the year 1884 the board of ST
ipervisors determined that the rate @
IS cents on each 800 was insufficient
to pay the ordinary expenses of tn
county and it was ordered that tn
800 valuation be submitted to tn
voters at the next election which wa
done and the proposition carried
(This was known as the 3-mill ia,
being mills on each 81 valuation
"This proposition at the expiratio
CT the time voted on, was resubmitte
to the voters and carried and contil
ued so until 1896 when the new coul
house was erected, the actual cost {
, which was considerably in excess {
the estimated cost. In 1896 the boar
of supervisors considered that thesrat
of IS cents and 80 cents addition;
was insufficient to meet the balanc
of cost of court house and the Il
creased expenditures imposed upo
the county by the legislature "a stat
ment of which appears farther or
5 and they ordered the proposition
t authorize a levy of an additional ia
e of so cents on each $10J for 10 yea
to take the place of the 3-mill tf
which was so done and the propos
? ton carried by large majority, Il
time for which this levy was autho
lied 90 years. having expired in 100
the board ordered the proposition
be resubmitted to the voters whi'
j, was so done, but the proposition W;
defeated. The county was then in
most exactly tne same clTCuusldnc
5 as in 1870 being unable under the CO
u stitutional limit to raise any more t
u THAN at that time.
As to Expenses.
Since the adoption Of t
y constitution in 1870 the leg
e lature has enacted number of la
I imposing large additional expenditur
= on counties, which were not conte
S. plated by the trainers of the consti
C. ton. among which are the followir
,e showing the amounts required to me
n same:
Is australian ballot law, each
all election costing approx
Of Primary election law, each
o. election costing approx
Ell mately ............. 1000
3 County aid in building
,n bridges in townships. per
year 4,0uu