Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1921-04-08
SEEKS INFORMATION

Editor Journal: As citizen and tax
payer am greatly Interested in any
effort to make Shoshone a better place
In which to live and rear a family.
<. I observe that our village board has
called for an election asking US to
autilorize q bond issue for six thou
sand dollars TO be used in extending
and Improving our city water system.
I wish to vote intelligently upon this
proposition but in order to do 80 /
deem it necessary that 1 have more
fnfornlation as to the condition of our
village finances than / at present pos
sess. hnd that the information l wish
Is not forbidden by law to be given out
to the tax payers. Instead 1 find that
section 4O42 Of the compiled statues of
Idaho provide as follows:
.PUBLICATION OF FINANCIAL
STATEMENT. 1t hall be the duty Of
the treasurer of such cities and villages
to cause to be published, for at least
one Insertion. in some newspaper with
in said city or village, between the
first and second Monday of January,
April July and October of each year,
a full statement of the receipts and
expenditures of said municipality
giving the source from whence re-
ceived TO what purpose applied and u
whom paid"
This law seems to me to be manda-
tory on the village treasury and if its
provisions were complied with would
give us a complete financial statement
Of the village affairs every three
months But if such report has ever
been published it has failed to come
to my notice.
Again I find that article 4043 Of the
Idaho statues reads as follows:
4As SAME: SEMI-ANNUAL
STATEMENT The Coucil or trustees
shall cause to be published semi an
n,IalIy a statement of the receipts of
the corporation and souces thereof,
and an ftemized account Of expendi-
lures, with a statement of the finan-
ciai condition of the city or village.
This provision seems to make II
mandatory that the village Board pub
lish a Complete semi-annual statement
OF the financial receipts and expendi-
hures and again seem to have over
looked such a report the past few years.
if it has ever been published.
Section 4O44. Idaho statutes reads as
follows:
1914" SAME: DUTY OF TRUSTEES
For the purpose of causing these re
ports to be published as required, the
trustees of every city and village shall
make such provision as may be nee
essary to carry into effect the require
ments OF this title
This section seems to make it the
duty of the Board Of Trustees OF the
village to make provisions necessary
to enable the village treasurer to
comply with sections 4o42 and 404s.
And in order to still further empha-
size the intent of these laws and com
Del the village officials to comply
with their provisions section 4o45 was
enacted which reads as follows:
4945. NONCOMPLIANCE WITH
LAW A MISDEMEANOR. A failure
city or village to comply with the re-
quirements of this title shall be deemed
misdemeanor."
Without meaning to be critical OF
the Village officials, is it asking too
much on the part OF the tax payers that
before being asked to vote on a bond
proposition for Village purposes we be
given a complete statement of our
uklA4Etd1 tOlQltlOu dS NHt Sl<-tdlC
eeems to entile us to have or at least
an official reason why il is necessary
that this financial information be kept
locked up as q profound secret in the
village archives?
We. the citizens OF Shoshone. own
the water system. We want 1t to be
the best possible and to be amply able
TO supply our needs. We wish to
know il it is self Importing. II not
Why not2 Can it be made seif-sup-
porting? In other words. we wish the
same information necessary to intelli-
gent action on this bond proposition.
IS any business man would want il his
clerks and employees were to ask him
20 borrow six thousand dollars more
10 put into the business which they
we're running for him. II this is asking
TOO much Of our officials I wish to
withdraw as much of the request as
xiii bring me within the rights OF an !
Interested Tax Payer.