The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1919-01-24
TAX COMMITTEE HAS
PROBLEM TO CONSUME
THOUGHT TILL APRIL
HOW TO MAKE PRESENT REVIEW
UE MEET EXPENSES AND HOW
TO PAY INDEBTEDNESS
MONEY SPENT BEFORE COLLECTED
Estimated that An Increase in Tax
Rate Of Cents May Be Required
State Legislation May Have Some
Bearing On Situation.

DCaIlHY vi Oltudt'OHs
Maury county's financial status is
going to be given special considera-
tion during the days intervening be-
fore the April session of the quarterly
court by Judge w. c. Whitthorne and
the tax levy committee composed of
Squires Clarence Sowell, Albert Mat
thews, G. G. Ross, H. E. Akin and
r. Fl. Guest, in an effort to formu-
late plan that will reduce the coun-
tvs Indebtedness and meet all current
expenses.
At the first session of the January
quarterly court Judge Whitthorne ex-
planned that the county is now con-
lucting its business with practically no
cash on hand and that before the
heavy receipts of revenue begins next
January there will be due approxima-
tely 100000 in bridge and road war
rants for which there will be no money
in the hands of the trustee to pay
them. Most of these warrants fall
due in April few days after the next
quarterly session of the court and it is
up to the members of the court to de-
wise plan to meet the situation.
This years taxes will be due in Oc-
tober, but collections will not begin
in earnest until next January. In the
meantime the income of the county is
scarcely enough to meet present ex-
penses and appropriations and the
money now being collected will have
been practically consumed in the pay
ment of appropriations already made.
In addition, there will be other in
creased expenses.
1t has been estimated that to fund
the floating Indebtedness of the county
which does not include bond issues,
and to meet the demand for more high
school money, which is expected at the
April session, an increase in the tax
rate of at least cents will be requir-
I'd. Then there will be the necessity
Tor more money for the roads, which
will mean another increase of per-
haps four cents.
The expected request for more
money from the county for high school
purposes is based upon the grounds
that the number of pupils in the school
from districts outside Of Columbia
has increased to such an extent that
they now outnumber the high school
pupils from the city. While this is
true the division of expenses is still
on the basis of attendance when the
pupils from the city outnumbered
those from the county. This condi-
ton is tribute to the establishment
of the county high school and demon
strates to what extent its advantages
are being used by the county. But
il the county court is to pay its pro
portionate part of the expenses more
revenue must be Forthcoming.
In addition to providing more rev.
enue, it has been pointed out that the
county court could reduce expenses
by stopping a few leaks and getting
rid of old debts that are constantly
sapping the treasury. One instance OF
this kind that has been cited Is an
outstanding bridge warrant for$4, 900
which has been in existence for more
than twenty years. All that time 1t
has been costing the county six per
cent interest and the interest alone
has totaled more than the original
debt At the same time there are
funds in the county treasury set aside
for special purposes but never used
which are drawing no interest and are
of no benefit. If it could be arranged
for such unused funds to be applied to
debts, that would to some extent stop
the leaks.
BY the time the next quarterly
court convenes the legislature will
have enacted new assessment and
taxation measures which may help to
solve the problems with which the
court will be confronted. II the Rob-
erts plan of assessment with sliding
scale of taxation is adopted, 1t may be-
come necessary for the county to
adopt a similar plan in order to keep
its affairs squared with those of the
state. This phase of the situation
will be watched with especial interest
by Judge Whitthorne and the tax
levy committee.