Smyrna times., 1916-05-17
h, B, GRItVES PRAISED FOR
KENT COUNTY EFFICIENCY
SMYRNA MAN COMPTROLLER OF
KENT GIVEN CREDIT FOR WORK

First Time All Ten Collectors OF Kent
Start Collections with no Oelin-
quents-Finances OF County
The Delaware State News of Dover
says, "No better illustration of the |
efficiency of the Kent County admin
istration under its present Democratic |
rule could be desired than that which |
developed at the session of the Kent |
County Levy Court on Tuesday, " hen !
the new tax collectors. ten in num-
Der, received their tax duplicates for
the year 1916. 1t was announced
that these collectors will start off
with clean slate, not one penny of
back taxes owing the county in any
of the ten districts. This is the first
time in the history of Kent county
that the entire ten collectors have
started the collections with no delin-
quent list to collect, and certainly no
greater demonstration of genuine
efficiency could be found than this.
The credit for this splendid showing
is largely due to Comptroller Harry
b. Grieves. of Smyrna. whom Republi-
cans as we'll as Democrats declare to
be one of the most competent and
conscientious officials who has ever
served the county in this capacity.
Comptroller Grieves has worked hard
to begin the new year with no back
taxes owing the county, and he shonld
feel proud of his success.
Kent Compared With Other Counties
How different is this excellent
state OF affairs in Kent county with
the existing conditions in New Castle
and Sussex counties, where there are
long lists Of delinquent taxes. In
New Castle county. particularly. the
back taxes amounted to such a huge
sum that a former county treasurer
was employed by the county solely
Tor the purpose Of collecting delin-
qument taxes. paying him large com
mission for doing It. And in even
Kent county we have only to go back
a few years to find similar conditions
existing. Only four years ago some
of the tax collectors in this county
were as much as fou- years behind
in their collections, and it has taker
strenuous work on the part of the
county officials during the past three
years to collect all the delinquents.
The financial condition Of Kent county
is better today than it has been foi
many years. Comptroller Grieve
and his associates have managed {,
not only eliminate deficits but for th'
past two years the fiscal year hai
closed with balance in bank to tn,
credit of the county, which balane
is growing steadily from year to yea
under the present rule.
1t should be considered also that j
order to accomplish this excellen
showing the county officers hav
neglected nothing that should b
done. all bills have been paid prom
pity, and improvements needed o
county property have been made. i
addition to the large amounts expende
- on roads. The error and delinqueI
lists turned in by collectors hay
been also much smaller than in tt
past years, and an examination {
these lists shows that every cent {
collectable taxes has been collected
the names on the error lists beir
those of persons who are either del
or removed from the county.
Tax Rate Has Not Been Changed
But the greatest feature of all
the fact that Notwithstanding Il
improvements that have been MAJ
to county property, the hills that ha'
been paid. and the bank balances lie
at the end Of the year. the tax ra
has not been raised. These good r
suits have been accomplished und
the same low tax rate that prevail
when the Republicans were in offie
and when each year closed with
constantly increasing deficit. Sure
the residents of Kent county, q
especially the taxpayers, have eve
reason 70 feel grateful to the presS
county administration for its stfieiS
and economical management of {
county's affairs, and the best way
n them to show appreciation Of q
n service IL to see that the present
IN min'stration is continued in Office,
III at least that the Democrats shall
III main in power. When we eonsi'
III the manner in which Comptrol
III Grieves has conducted the busin
III Of his Office during his tenure in q
U Office, with such satisfactory resul
III Il would be q calamity indeed to
III move his steady hand from the VII
III and place the financial affairs of
iii county in the hands Of an inexperien
Ill pilot. Let the good work go on. "