The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-01-13

Reddick, Fla, Jan. 5, 1911.

To the Editor Ocala Banner:
During the early part of November
wrote to Hon. George MacKay,
chairman of the board of county COM
missioners. begging him to have board
publish in the December report of
the county commissioners proceed
ings the condition of the finances of
this county something on this order:
The debt of each of the funds on No
vember 1, 1908 and November 1, 1910;
the total amount assessed for each1
fund November L.. 1908, and Novem-
Der 1, 1910; also the total receipts out
side of taxes in each fund for the
years 1908 and 1910.
My reason for asking these ques-I
tons was because l am stakeholder
in the corporation known as Marion
county-You, I & Co.-and as it was
nearing the end of the year and a new
board of managers was soon to take
control of the affairs of the county, l
naturally wanted to know what divi-
dend was getting for my investments
in the concern, etc.
My letter was duly referred to
Clerk Sistrunk by Chairman MacKay,
was properly read to the commission
ers, and I find by looking over the re-
port of the proceedings of the board
that the board decided that it would
be too expensive to the county to an
swer the questions asked of them, and
| if or others wished to know the con-
dition of our eounty's finances We
could come to the court house; the
Irecords were open, and we could see
for ourselves, etc.
I am very sorry the commissioners
treated me this way, for I and others
truly wanted to know in what condi-
ton our county finances were. The
questions and answers would not have
covered more than fifty lines in the
columns of the newspapers.
For myself and others to come to
Ocala and undertake to look up the
finances of the county and ascertain
the true condition of affairs is al
most an impossibility; we would most
likely get the accounts badly mixed
up, ETC., therefore wanted the informa-
ton from the right and proper source.
| called at the clerks office on the
morning of December 9th. Mr.. Sis
trunk was not in. The young lady
clerk informed me that I would have
to see Mr. Sistrunk to get the infor-
nation wanted, as she did not know
where to find the information, and to
call in the afternoon. I again called
in the afternoon, but Mr.. Sistrunk was
still absent. I saw Mr.. Conner, Mr.. |
Sistrunk's clerk, and asked him il he |
could and would get me the debts of
Marion county November, 1908, and
November, 1910? He promised to do
so and mail same to me.
Mr.. MacKay informed me that the
clerk had a statement of the indebted
ness of each fund, and l asked the |
lady clerk to have a copy of this !
statement forwarded me by mail.
Tuesday morning, one week later
not a word from the clerks office.
This trip cost me a days time, a |
drive of &c miles and expenses in
town-and no results.
/ found out the board pays the two
Ocala papers 800 each per year to
print the proceedings of the county |
commissioners, therefore the contract
is by the year, and to have answered |
my questions would not have cost an
additional one cent.
/ honestly believe the true reason !
the board refused to inform me and |
the public of the condition of Marion
|county's finances is because they did
not want the condition to be known.
1t took Light fourteen years to get
to the state legislature. Light will get
this information if it takes twenty
years more!
County commissioners, don't force
me to make you show up! The tax
payers of Marion county will, shall
and must know how you are spending
our money.
Yours truly,
L. S. LIGHT.