Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-10-17
To the Taxpayers
Of Jefferson County.
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In-as-mnch as there will be submit
ted to the voters of the County at the
election in November the question as
to whether bonds to ttS amount of
Fifty Thousand dollars IS or
the purpose of bui
across the Shenande.
point known as "The Sicoms-v.' we
believe it would be wei t issue a
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
petitions having been presented to US
for that purpose. The indebtedness
of the county at present amounts to
One Hundred and Seventy Two
Thousand, Six Hundred dollars, evil
denced by bonds, as follows, viz -
$z4,6Q0.0O bearing per cent inter-
est, and $14S,O000O bearing per
cent, the interest thereon consequent
ly amounting to $7,15O.00 annually.
The S 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 As rs 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 &C. + lew for
roads and schoc aasa
in the =differer .sz.zzz-ii,szs..s -
rate of taxation j, ~o5 ?vss'' T.:
form for the County, to.' ,;.:c.;,e y
total for all purposes, except mGait..
pal tax in the towns, is as follows :.
Charles Town Dist, IS IL cts on $500
| Kabletown District 68 IL cts. on $500
Middleway District II % cts. on 500
Shephefdstown 80 2-3 cts. on $500
Harpers Ferry o8 IL cts. on $500
an average of about 81 cents for the
County. With our present levy for
county purposes, we have heretofore
been able to meet all the expenses of
County Government, and occasional
ly pay off some of our bonded in
debtedness, 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 a 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
erty 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, 100000. II
is evident that should the proposition
to increase the Indebtedness of the
County be endorsed by the voters
thereof, our income must be increas.
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 car
i be done is not altogether apparent
under existing conditions. AS far az
we can see we have but little, if any
prospect of any material increase j.
our income from taxation in the neal
future, from the fact that our levy fol-
County purposes is about as high a.
we dare make=it, and we have M
grounds for expecting any consider.
able increase in the valuation of the
property of the County for the pur
pose of taxation, hence it would ap
pear to be we'll nigh impossible tt
meet any considerable increase in on
expense account, except by retrench
ment in some direction Now, as
: matter of fact, large portion of thu
expense incident to County Govern
ment is fixed by StatuteI and conse
i 1quently beyond our control, so i
would seem to be impossible to Lesser
our expense, otherwise than by eeas
ing to pay any of our present indebt
edness, or make less appropriation TO
road purposes. Whether the buildin
of the proposed bridge is Of suffi
Gent importance to justify resort t
) either expedient, is for the voters Il
determine. We make the abov
statement for the sole purpose o
| showing the exact financial status o
the County, to the end that all VIII,
i fare sufficiently interested to perus
, it may understand the situation tina
confronts us. We are not oppose
to public improvements, essential t.
the public welfare, and when we have
or are likely to have, the means a
our disposal to make them. We hav,
no doubt that one or more bridge
across the Shenandoah River woul'
be a matter of some convenience Il
!, persons living, or owning property OF
the East side of the, river, but wheth
: er or not as a result there would b,
, any material increase in the valuation
of the property of the County, is
question about which there will like
ly be different opinions. The ques
ton that more particularly confront
, the tax payers of the County, it seem
t to us, is. whether the building of tn,
n ~~o.,o.aJ :. &c ..ff.a:a-4