The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1921-04-13
COUNTY TAX LEVY
REDUCED ) CENTS
BY Commissioners
Taxpayers Of Mason County Are Saved
Five Cents on the Hundred Dollars
In New Levy Fixed by Fiscal
Court Yesterday.

tax levy for the county for the ensu-
ing years at 80 cents for county pur-
poses which Is a reduction OF five
cents on the hundred dollars from last
years levy. This with the state levy
Of 40 cents will make total levy Of
$1.20 per hundred dollars Mason coun-
ty property owners will be required to
pay this year.
The levy was divided 16 cents for
General Claim fund; cents for In
firmary fund; 25 cents for the Turn
pike fund, and 30 cents for schools.
In addition to this poll tax of $1.5O
was levied half of which will go to the
Infirmary fund and the other half to
the dirt road fund.
In arriving at this levy Judge Pur-
nell furnished the commissioners with
a report showing expenditures during
their term of office which is as fol-
lows:
ITO the Honorable Members of the
Mason Fiscal Court, Maysville KY
Gentlemen.
"As this is the end of your fiscal
year, and you are about to enter upon
another, and today fix the levy for the
coming year, wish before doing so to
call your attention to a few facts con-
cerning the running expenses Of this
county for the three years which you
have been in office.
"As presiding officer only of this
court, I have in detail gone over the
record for the last three years to find
out. as far as possible, the amounts
you would have to contemplate to run
the fiscal affairs of this county for one
year.
"The first figures that I give you
extend from the 7th Of January, 1918,
to April 1st, 1919, In that time you
spent $3,214.79 for court house sup
plies and repairs Your pauper ac-
count was $3S764; jail supplies,
s162.67; jailer's fees s715.9S; court
house and Jail $492.4O for light, heat
and water; advertising $2O6.10 sher-
iff's fees s2S5.15; coroner's fees $40;
for pest house s114.3S; stenographer's
fees, $16S1O; ballots, s164.15; salar-
les and stationery for all county offices
$3.50. which, together with pauper
doctors fes and a few other small
items, makes at total of SIG, 6,53067.
From April, 1919, to April, 1920,
your expenses are as follows: Court
house and repairs $1,92O.91; pauper
supplies $403.39; printing, advertising
and ballots, $59375 coroner s1O2;
stenographer's fees $61; courthouse
and jail for light, heat, water, etc.,
$639.21; pest house s16O.51; vital sta
tistics, $3.50; sheriff's fees, $2,621,O4;
Jail supplies, s6S4.47; jailer's fees
$385.SO; assistants to the county
clerk, s16S: commissioners salaries
$19S; officers salaries and stationery
$3.50; county agent $500; health
department $780, together with
pauper doctors fees, county live stock
inspector and few other small items
making, a total of s19,O34.62.
From April, 1920, to Auril, 1921
your expenses are as folows: jail
s653.15; pauper s934.23; court house
$4,S76.64; (this item includes the cost
Of wiring for all public buildings)
advertising, together with ballots
$69310; court house and Jail, water
light, heat, etc, s936.S9; officers sal.
aries. $3.50; county agent, $1,500;
jailer's fees $433.7O; sheriff's fees
$S53.5S; stenographer, $685.; cor
oner, $43; commissioners, s1O5; dona-
tions to orphans home 500; health
department $4,000; making total OF
| s22,S29.5S. In this amount is included
a payment Of $1,732.34.
II had hoped, gentlemen, due to the
fact that the times are very hard, and
money very tight, to be able to recon.
mend you reduction Of 10 cents pei
800 from the present county levy, but
due to the fact that the Legislature re.
duced taxation on tobacco to Is cents
per 500, this would make loss from
the present total revenue of the coun-
ty of approximately $4,000. The as.
sessed valuation of this county being
in the neighborhood of s25,000,000
would under the present levy bring in
close to $4,000 as fund for all gen.
eral purposes, but a loss on tobacco Of
| $4,000 would reduce this amount, to.
gether with the sheriff's fees, down tc
approximately s25,OOO, which under
the total expenses, as I have above
stated, would not allow the county
much surplus to take care of any
emergency that might arise. My aim
in trying to arrive at fixed amount
upon which to base the levy for the
fiscal affairs each year is to relieve,
In SO far as we can, the present bur-
den of taxation resting upon the farm
er and the property holder. But this
reduction, as mentioned above, is for
you, gentlemen, to decide, as to wheth-
or or not 1t would be safe, to take the
chance upon the basis. as above men