Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1912-10-15
Has The County Court llsrspressntsd
The Financial Condition OF Jefferson
County !?
,Htiselnesst.l


pay off some Of cur bondel n ieat" ms
Below are some OF the itsms y, \.
C,unty Court has paid out withsst
crea-ing our levy since the 18th day
March. 1912:
This contract made this 18th. day Of
March, 1910, by and between Geo. T. Light.
,arty of the first part. and Geo. N. Belts
Dover. party of the second part. witnesseth,
~ o. and in consideration of the sum of
$4,000 CASE IL hand psid by the County
sour' .e..e-son the said Geo. T. Light
at or before the soaring and delivery of the
cohtracs me -eceips OF which sum OF money
il hereby ecsnow,ea ,e.. Re sci SEQ.
Light Oath grant. convey. q. ease ~; 4! i
and set over to the said Geo. y ae..-. os'
Jr.. all Of his right tile aud interes, i
TO the lease coi.yeysdtahim by s. w. WASH.
iagton. executor. OF Wm. Burnett, datei
March /. 1859. recorded in said county IN
Deed Book U, page 376. to which reference
is made. the 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 given April lst.,
$780,
Deed of lease from 8. w. Washington,
Executor of Vim. Burnett. to Geo. T. Light,
March l,t. 1850, conveying Burnett's unex-
pired lease on offices in Lawyers Row. the
same having been sold by Washington, Ex-
ecutor. at public auction, and Geo. T. Light
being The highest bidder therefor became
the purchaser for the sam of $4,000. Re-
corded in Deed Book U. page 376.
March IL. 1889, Geo. T. Light bought
Burnett's lease having to June ist.. 1914. to
run; Is year lease at public cutlery at 500 90
March IL, 1910, the county court at pri-
vate sale and although the original lease
sives taem the right of condemnation buy
The same 9u-nett lease having but little
over ou- years Q: life at $4,000.
We caEno5 help mt believe that the
Coun Y lourl thinks II L values are M :
terially inc-easin u they vii. q, ::
of their Court House winuows. .a.r ca:
then Post Office Building, tne new c-e
House. new Telephone Building an
new Department Store--over one hundre
thousand dollars worth Of buildings on
property that few years ago was assessed
ut less than six thousand dollars-2000 per
cent increase-and this is not an insulated
case. There is more and more building go.
ing on every year in Charles Town, Ransom
and throughout the county. substantially
increasing our assessments year after year,
and so it will continue.
Now to return to what our County Court
has paid for extraordinary expenses, with.
out increasing our levy. since March IL. 1910:
Order Nc. 100, Geo. T. Light 5 $4,000
Order No. 102. G. N. Beltzhooyer, Jr.. 200 90
Older No. 80, Flank Beckwith 5000
james NJ. Mason, Jr., 1850
Total $i275 90
Various orders in addition to these for
Construction and heating County Court
House, aggregating over $2i. 5000.
Light, Bel, Uncover, Mason, Beckwith 1925 90
Paid County bonds from Oct. 1.
1911, to Oct. /. 1872 100000
Total, $3l, 1880
Here is over $50 90 spent by our Coun-
~ Court in little over two years, and the
sheriff's statement shows good balance in
every fund. From the fact that we have n
very material increase in our assessment
every succeeding year. our revenues are
constantly increasing and the very action
of our County Court proves this fact con-
clusively.
Successful business men as they are, keen
traders. alive to the County's interest, and
dealing as close for the public as they would
for themselves, they pay 90 cash for
Burnett's lease. four years to run, when the
same lease sold at public auction. rs years
to run, at $4,000. Thus BY their actions
they prove conclusively the material in
crease 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 qnoie their
own records to prove the same. Now one
of the lest busn ness men of our tounty
Court, Nr, N r. Roberts, told rs that this
bridge could be built without increasing
our bonded Indebtedness or raising our as
sessment. and from the investigation aud
sesrcli Of the records and orders anil for
what purposes drawn that we have had made
and from the facts presented TO you voters,
to- wit, that since March the 18th, 1910,
orders for extraordinary expenses have been
drawn as follows:
Light Be,izhoover and Mason $1.H5.00
Court House addition over 81 s500.00
Paid on Bonded Indebtedness
from Oct 1871. to Oct. 1912 10000
Tota; $3i.775 90
This has been done and can be done In
two years without raising orr assessment t.
for they have proven beyond the shade W
of doubt the material increase in our rs
se sment.
This bridge can be bniit just ike the sd-
d;tion to the Court Honse was built without
increasing cur bonded Indebtedness. Orr
present County Court is composed Of farm
| ers. Of countrymen; now over is Of the
truly countrymen of our county are on the
east side Of the Shenandoah River, and i
| looks like they are entitled to one member
| Of the county court or they suffer taxation
without representation the same as oUr
Revolutionary forefalhers. and their lords
and matters are to 5 weeks distant from
them At times by an impossible r.yer, dur.
ling which time several trips could be made
10 our mother country and return.
Another material increase the County
Court can count on from June the LIST. 1914
and that is. the rent from nix double Offices
lin Lawyers Row worth At least $50 per m.
nun which will pay over l-S Of the present
Interest charges on our bonded indebtedness
i These Offices are worth It least $50 PEI
4 annum. Considering that they. The County
!. lcnurt. are good business men and that thes