Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1912-10-15
To the Taxpayers
Of Jefferson County.
ADVERTISEMENT

/ Of Jefferson County.
i advertisement.
In-as-much as there will be submit
ted to the voters of the County at the
election in November the question as
to whether bonds to II amount OF
Fifty Thousand dollars
| the purpose of bui
across the Shenande 4
lpoint known as "The 7cs
believe it would be wei e :ssu, :
statement showing the financial situa-
ton ofthe County. In the first place,
! we wish to state that the project of
building bridge as above stated was
not primarily suggested by the Court,
but is due to the fact of numerous
lpetitions having been pres -nted to US
for that purpose. III, indebt dine S
of the county at present amounts to
lone Hundred and Seventy Two
Thousand, Six Hundred dollars, evil
| denced by bonds, as follows, wiz
| $z4,600.00 bearing per cent inter-
| est, and $148,000.00 bearing 4 per
cent, the interest thereon consequent
lily amounting to $4,000 annually
The per cent bonds will be due in
1921, and provision for payment must
be made at or before that time. The
highest levy that we can at present
make for County purposes, including
the road levy, is IS Is cents on each
$4,000 worth of property, and our
present levy being As cents, it will be
seen that we have ;cally reached
the limit. On acs r levy for
roads and schoc
in the differeE, -,
rate of taxation Is 70. sva -
form for the County. 70. .,s:as., =
total for all purposes, except nuai,:-
pal tax in the towns, is as follows
Charles Town Dist, IS IL cts. on $500
Kabletown District 68 IL cts. on 500
lMiddleway District II 2-3 cts. on 500
Shepherdstown 80 2-3 cts. on 500
iHarpers Ferry /" 98 IL cts. on 500
an average of about 81 cents for the
County. With our present levy for
lcounty purposes, we have heretofore
been able to meet all the expenses of
County Government. and occasional
ly pay off some of our bonded in
ldebtedness, but should this expense
continue to increase in the same ratio
in the future as it has forthe last two
years we will soon have no surplus
unless there should be material in
crease in the assessed valuation of
the property in the County, which
hardly seems likely, as most persons
as far as we know, think their prop
Ierty is assessed at sufficiently high
| figure now, and the valuation of the
property of corporations is being
gradually reduced, the reduction for
this year amounting to $147.000.00. 1t
lis evident that should the proposition
to increase the indebtedness of the
County be endorsed by the voters
thereof, our income must be incrcas-
ed by an amount sufficient to pay in
terest thereon, and create sinking
fund for its payment at maturity, as
the law requires. just how this can
be done is not altogether apparent
under existing conditions. AS far as
we can see we have but little, if any,
prospect of any material increase in
our income from taxation in the near
future, from the fact that our levy for
County purposes is about as high as
we dare make it, and we have no
grounds for expecting any consider
liable increase in the valuation of the
property of the County for the pur-
pose of taxation, hence it would APP
pear to be well nigh impossible to
meet any considerable increase in our
expense account. except by retrench-
ment in some direction. Now, as a
matter of fact, large portion of the
expense incident to County Govern
Iment is fixed by Statute, and conse-
quently beyond our control, SO lit
would seem to be impossible to lessen
our expense, otherwise than by ceas
| ing to pay any of our present indebt-
ledness, or make less appropriation for
road purposes. Whether the building
| of the proposed bridge is of suffi-
lcient importance to justify a resort to
either expedient, is for the voters to
determine. We make the above
statement for the sole purpose of
showing the exact financial status of
the County, to the end that all who
are sufficiently interested to peruse
lit may understand the situation that
confronts US. We are not opposed
to public improvements, essential TO
the public welfare, and when we have,
or are likely to have, the. means at
our disposal to make them. We have
Inc doubt that one or more bridges
across the Shenandoah River would
Ibe matter of some convenience to
persons living, or owning property on
the East side of the river, but wheth-
er or not as result there would be
lany material increase in the valuation
lof the property of the County, is q
! question about which there will like.
lily be different opinions. The ques.
2 ton that more parti-ul rIy comforts
Z the tax payers of the County, it seems
Ito us. is whether the building OF the
proposed bridge is of sufficient i'm
|portance to justify so large an add
ton to the debt we already owe, ant
bear in mind that this debt, contract
ed more than forty years ago, hai
: cost the taxpayers o fthe county near
J. ly, or quite, half million dollars il