The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-08-15

the county appears to have been $685.
1873 in debt. Taking this as basis
on July 1st, 1911, the outstanding in
debtedness Of the county was s107,
344.82, distributed among the several
funds as follows:
School fund, s7e5sss; road fund
500, 563-73: general revenue fund, SIG,
$685.; fine and forfeiture fund
sl5s6.39; building fund, s12.217.s7. To
tai. s107,344S2
Cash Balance
The total cash on hand July LIST
1911, was s2S67O2. divided among the
funds as follows:
General school fund, ss47; road
fund. s23.18: fine and forfeiture fund
s55.2l; building fund, 1888; general
revenue fund, s20.s5; special school
fund, s2723.9s. Total, s2s67O2
This sum was covered by deposits
with the local banks
Borrowing Money
In my judgment. it is doubtful il
county commissioners have the right
to borrow money outright. The com
missioners are expressly authorized
to build court houses and jails. with
out bonding the county. 1908 Gen
Stat. The statute, however, stipu
lates the levy for such purposes
shall not exceed five mills for five
years. Chapter 1898 laws of Florida
Acts of the legislature of 1909 page
I26, providing for the county levy
authorizes the county commissioner
to levy a tax not exceeding foul
mills on the dollar to pay all outstand
ing Indebtedness and interest there
on. Now, the assessed valuation Of
taxable property in Marion county fol
the year 1910 was s5,156,713.
levy of five mills would be INSULT
cient to pay for new court house
Or jail, such as the county has.
1t would seem to follow then, thai
the law contemp1ates such a condi
ton arising within a county as may
cause an outstanding Indebtedness tt
accrue by providing for the payment
thereof and the interest thereon.
In this county no money has beer
borrowed outright; an indebtedness:
has accumulated by the issue of more
warrants than the income would take
care of
Outside of the temporary loans
made by the former treasurer, The
county has not borrowed any money
in the usual sense of the term; il
has, however, paid for the use o.
money. That is to say it has main
tanned it's warrants at par, and to dc
so found it necessary to pay interest
for the use of money. In 1910 inter
est paid amounted to s5,464.38; 81,
months of 1911 it was $6,669.39. The
amount of money upon which the
county is paying interest is constant
ly f1uctuating, hence it was not prac
teal to undertake to ascertain the
amount.
Refunding Warrants.
The commissioners recently, June
18th, 1911, issued interest bearing war
rants on the road fund, designated
as refunding warrants amounting tG
$4S.329.77. They had also issued Ger
tain warrants, all of which were vail
dated and legalized by chapter 628s
laws of Florida
Contracts.
In addition to the warrants men
toned in the foregoing paragraph
the commissioners made a contrac
to be paid in future That is the pur
chase of a two cylinder motor rollel
for $3,080.00 for which warrants are
to issue upon its acceptance, as fol
lows:
One warrant payable in one year TO-
S91l.10: One warrant payable in two
years for s102G.65: One warrant pay
tiDlt III tiIEot years lOI SI,bS Al
without interest. $3,0S0.OO
|. Authority for this can doubtless b.
| found under the general powers con
| ferred upon the board by 1863 an.
1850 Gen. Stats.
lnterrosatories 8, g, and 10.
Aside from requiring regula
monthly reports from all county OF
ticers the board of county commits
! sioners has not made quarterly in
| spections Of the offices and records o
the county offices. The general re
quirements of *7S1 appear to have
| been complied with. 1t seems tina
heretofore it has been Gu:
| tomary for a committee from tn
grand juries to inspect the county rec
| Ords. but this was not done by tn
grand jury at its last sitting and n
records We're shown the jury.
| Under the requirements of At
Gen. Stat, the county commissioner