Evening journal., 1908-08-06
SUSSEX LEVY
COURT AFFAIRS
Attorney Daniel J. Layton, Jr.,
Makes a Statement About
the Expenditures

AS to the management Of the affairs
of Sussex county the following state
ment by Daniel ]. Layton, Jr.. attor-
eny Of the Levy Court. throws light on
the question. THE JOURNAL takes
it from a letter printed in the Sussex
Journal:
1t is, perhaps, proper to discuss the
financial condition of the county. and
endeavor to find the true reason for its
condition. In the first place the law
placing the county Office holders upon
a certain fixed salary. with a percent
age Of their fees, and furnishing depu-
ties paid by the county has increased
instead Of diminished. the expense TO
the county, as It has in New Castle
county, in the second place the law
requiring the incarceration OF prisoners
In the worlShouse of New Castle county,
at an expense Of forty cents a day,
when the actual expense is eight and
one-half cents a day has doubled the
expense Of the maintenance Of
prisoners.
At the same time we are under the
] burden of maintaining Jail in George
town, and have been compelled 10 in
stall steel cages for the safe detention
of prisoners. Court expenses have al
most doubled owing 10 the increase in
the terms Of court The special cleo
ton last fall was a considerable ex-
pense to the county. and there are
minor expenses incurred by reason OF
legislation, such as the Jury Commits
sion Act. Board of Revision of As
sessment Act, some additional town
allowances, increase nf the percentages
to the clerk of the peace and so on, all
of which have added to the expenses
of the county beyond what It formerly
required. It can be shown that the
tax collectors have performed their
duty as well as they formerly did, but
what was not considered was the extra
expense, and the only thing for which
the Levy Court can he blamed is NOT
notifying the collectors some months
ago to pay over their quotas.
In this blame, the Levy Court, coun-
~ treasurer. clerk OF the peace ard
myself must share. Since I have beer
Associated with the Lew Court have
not known a summer during which the
balance in the treasury was not at q
low ebb or entirely depleted, for the
reason that the spring allowances are
heavy, and verv few taxes are paid
over by the collectors during the sum-
mer months Much has been said about
the settlements showing balances oi
$4,000 and $4,000, but by far the larger
portion of these sums consisted OF funds
due the various districts under th'
Road Improvement Act. There na'
never been a ,settlement that showed
! so much balance to the credit Of thu
, county fund. I would be wrong I,
have such a balance. for the theory
is to raise just enough tax every yea
to pay expenses. The county treas
urer's books will show that there Il
due the county from collectors abou
$50. 1000. from which must be deducte'
some considerable part for errors, de
1inquent and collectors fees. bringing
! the real amount due to about $4,000
! We are now in the fiscal year Of 1905
I and yet owing to the system that ha
. been In vogue and which has hereto
fore given no trouble. none of the 19c
tax is expected until October. We ar
paying bills for the year 1908 wit
money arising from taxes due for III
year 1907. And owing to the increase
expenses created by legislation, an
not by lavish appropriations by tn
Levy Court, we are met with an un
! usual shortage and one that shoul
have been foreseen. The real troubl
is. therefore, the failure OF the col
lectors to pay their quotas. althoug
= they have done as well this year a
in the past.