Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-10-24
Has the County Court Made True
Financial Statement of Jefferson
County?

To the Tax PAYERS of Jefferson County
in reply TO the financial statement OF
the County Court OF October s, l9lZ
with our present levy for county pur-
noses we have heretofore been able 10
meet all the expenses OF county govern
ment and occasionally pay OIL some OF
our bonded indebtedness.
Below are some OF the items that inc
County Court has paid out without IN.
creasMg our levy since the 18th day OF
March. 1910. a.,
"This contract made this llth day OF
March. 1910. by and between Geo. /.
Light, party OF the first part, and Geo.
M. Beltzhoover, party OF the second part,
witnesseth, that for and in consideration
of the sum of $450.00 cash in hand paid
by the County Court OF Jefferson to the
said Geo. T. Light, at or before the seal
mo and delivery of The contract, the re-
CENT of which sum of money is hereby
ackn owledeed, the said Geo. I. Light
doth grant, convey, release, Iel!nquisn
and set over TO the said Geo: M. Beltz-
hooycr, IT,, all of his right, title and IN
terest in and to the lease conveyed 10
him by S. W. Washington, executor OF
VIM. Burnett, dated March l., 1857, re-
corded in said county in Deed Book U,
pace 376, TO which reference is made,
fhe said offices situated in what IS known
as LAWYERS Row, on the east side OF
George street, in Jefferson County, West
Virginia. possession to be gwen April
Deed OF lease from S. w. Washington,
executor of VIM. Burnett, to Geo. /.
Lipht. March lst, 1889, conveying Bur
netts unexpired lease on offices in Law.
yers' Row, the same having been sold
bv Washington, executor, at public auc-
ton, and Geo. T Light being the high
est bidder therefor, became the pur-,
chaser for the sum Of $4,000. Recorded
in Deed Book u. page $40. =,
March II, 1889, Geo T. Light bought
Burnett's lease having 10 June lst, 1914,
10 run, 25-year lease, at public outcry' al
S202 90.
March II, 1910, the County Court at
private sale, and although the original
lease gives them the right OF condemna-
ton, buy the same Burnett lease, having
but a little over four years OF life at S4oO.OO.
We cannot help but believe that the
County Court thinks that values are ma
terialy increasing. If they will look out
of their Courthouse windows, they can
see the new PoStoffice building, the new
Opera House, new Telephone building,
and the new department Store-oVer one
hundred thousand dollars worth OF build
inps on property that few years ago
was assessed at less than six thousand
dollarS-2,000 per cent increaSe-and this
is not an isolated case. There is more
and more building going on every year IN
Charles Town, Ransom and throughout
the county, substantially increasing our
assessments year after year, and SO II
will continue.
Now 10 return to what our County
Court has paid for extraordinary ef-
penSeS, without increasing our levy, since
March II 1910:
Order No. 100, Geo. T. Light . $4,000
Order No. l02, Geo. IA. Beltzhoo- ooo ~
Order e No. 5. 90, Frank Beckwith 5000
James M. Mason, IT,. 2I5.UC
Total I275OC
Various orders in addition TO these fol
construction and heating County CouTl
House, aggregating over $2l ,5OO.OO
Light, Beltzhoover, Mason and
Beckwith =. -. =. l,ZIo.OC
Paid county bonds from Oct. |,
1911, to Oct. |, 1912, 9,OOOW
Total, $3l ,775.O(
Here is over 100000 spent by oul
County Court in a little over two years
and the Sherlft'S statement shows a gooc
balance in every fund. From the lac
| that we have very material increase ir
| our assessment every succeeding year
our revenues are constantly increasing
and the very action OF our County Cour
proves this tact ConcluSlvely.
Successful business menaS they are, keer
traders, alive to the County'S interests
and dealing as close for the public as they
would for themselves, they pay $4oO.U
cash for Burnett's lease, four years tc
run, when the same lease sold at public
auction, Is years to run, at $4,000. Thus
by their actions they prove concluslvell
| the material increase OF the aSSeSSable
property of our county.
Now the County Court did not make
fair statement Of the financial condition
OF the county of Jefferson, and we quote
| their own records TO prove the same
Now, one of the best business men o
our County Court, Mr.. n. K. Roberts
told us that this bridge could De bull
without increasing our bonded indebted
ness or raising our assessment, and iron
the investigation and search OF the rec
ordS and orders, and Tor what purpose:
drawn, that we have had made, and iron
the facts presented to you voters. to-wit
that since March the llth, 1910, order:
for extraordinary expenses have beer
drawn as follows:
Light, Beltzhoover and Mason 81 ,275.0(
Court House addition, over Il ,500.0C
Paid on Bonded Indebtedness
from Oct. /, 1911, to Oct. |, 1912 9,OOO.O(
Total, .$31 ,775.O(
This has been done and can be done
in two years without raising our assess
ment, for they have proven beyond tht
shadow OF doubt the material increase
in our assessment.
This bridge can be built just like thu
addition to the Courthouse was built
without increasing Our bonded indebted
ness. Our present County Court is com.
posed OF farmers, OF countrymen; now
over one-fifth of the truly countrymer
OF our county are on the east side OF tht
Shenandoah river, and ii looks like they
are entitled 10 one member OF the County
Court, or they suffer taxation withou
representation, the same as our Revoh
tionary forefathers, and their lords ane
masters are 4 TO 5 weeks distant from
them at times by an impossible river
during which time several trips could bt
made to our mother country and return
Another material increase that the County
Court can count on from June the LIST
1914, and that is, the rent from six double
offices in Lawyers Row, worth at eaS
$4,000 per annum, which will pay ove
one-eighth of the present interest charge:
on our bonded indebtedness.
| so az