The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1909-03-06
COMMISSIONER PROCEEDINGS
Deadlock On Between Board and
Auditor Over Proper Presen-
tation Of Bills to Latter

O01aI " Wac
held last Monday. Present. Commits.
s~ioners Bale. Fraser. and Thomas; also
the Clerk and District Attorney. The
following business was transacted:
The Commissioners and the Auditor
counted the money in the Treasury and
found the same to agree with the Coun.
ty Treasurer's statement.
A list Of the bills allowed will be
found in another column.
Replying to q communication of r. II.
Mallet of the Beowawe Mercantile Com.
pany. asking IL this Board had ever
granted permission TO the Western
Pacific Railway to occupy with their
roadbed a part Of the public highway
at Beowawe, the Clerk was directed to
notify Mr.. Msllet that no permission
had been asked nor granted to obstruct
or lay track over the public highway he
inquired about.
County Official D1agree
The bill of l.. w. Cromer, Justice of
the Peace Of Eureka. for $44. 20 for the
month of February. was presented to
the Board in four separate and distinct
bills. as follows. to wit:
One bill of S25 for salary as Justice of
the Peace; one bill Of $12.95 for Coro-
ner's inquest; one bill of $3.50 for
supplies for Mob Hill hosehouse zone
bill of$l.25 for work on Courthouse fiue.
Mr.. Cromer. upon request. appeared
before the Board aud stated that he had
been informed by Auditor Spinner that
he. Cromer. would have to make out
separate bills for the amounts payable
out of the different funds. as above set
forth.
Auditor Spinner also appeared before
the Board. upon request, and stated
that In his opinion that il was the
proper way for all bills to be made out
against the County, but that they could
be consolidated into one bill.
The question then arose that as the
bills had been put in separately
whether they would have to be entered
as separate bills on the minutes Of the
Board and published as four separate
allowances at an expense Of 20 cents
each. or whether they could be ~consoli.
dated and published as one item.
The District Attorney being present
was requested to give the Board his
| opinion on the matter. He stated that
he was unable to fnd any law stating
that several items payable to one person
and out Of different funds should be
segregated in said manner, and as the
| County Commissioners under section
2i1l have the control. care and dis
bursement Of all county moneys, it is
their duty to disburse the same as
economically as possible aud for the
benefit of the county. and inasmuch as
bills put in separately would necessitate
the Publishing Of each bill. an unneces.
sary expense would be incurred there
by. That under section 2148 1t is only
necessary that County Commissioners
shall cause t, be published the amount
Of all bills allowed by them and the
names of the persons to whom such
allo Sances are made, and that it is not
necessary. nor Is IL the intent OF the
law. to publish for what the amount is
to be allowed; nor hat each separate
item be published. and that by publish
ing 10 one item the amount allowed to
any one person expense is lessened and
ample protection given to taxpayers.
That il any taxpayer or citizen is de-
sirous of knowing for what said
amounts are expended, the same may
be ascertained by inspection Of the
county books.
The Board then passed all bills In ac-
cordance with the opinion OF the Dis.
trict Attorney, sen the bills to the
Auditor and took q recess until /
o'clock.
On converting at / O'Clock the follow.
ing communication was received by the
Board from Auditor William Spinner,
to-wit:
ITO the Honorable Board Of County
Commissioners: The accompanying
bills are hereby returned for proper in
dorsements and compliance with sec.
tion 0, page ala. see last clause.
"WM SPINNER. Auditor"
All the bills passed by the Board Of
County Commissioner at their regular
monthly meeting of Monday morning.
March /. 1909. accompanied the fore
going communication.
The DISTRICT Attorney thought. that
page ala mean section AHA. the last
clause OF which read as follows, to-wit:
mo demand shall be approved. al.
lowed, audited or paid unless each
several item. date aud value composing
it be Endorsed upon the same by the
order of the County Commissioners. to-
gether with o reference to the law. or.
der, contract or authority by title. date
aud section, authorizing the same"
The District Attorney stated in his
opinion that the intent Of the law is
not such as to deem IL necessary for the
Board to pass upon such items in such
manner, but if the Auditor had any
doubt as to the legality OF any item he
~ D---l - -. Al. L.