The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-03-08
TAXPAYERS ASKING
LOWER TAXES CAN
ACT ON MARCH l8|
Township Meetings Are Open
To Public - North Dakota
Taxes Increased s. Per
Cent.

All uVcT tHe State inc annual toWH
ship meetings will be held on March
Is, to determine the amount OF
money which will be spent for the
next Year.
Taxpayers, as a rule, pay no at
tcntion at all to the subject until
they get their tax statements early
itN,the year, and then they are in
clined to place all the blame on the
county treasurer, to whom they pay
the money. when, as matter of fact.
the whole question Of how much
money shall be spent. and how much
must be raised by taxation, is al
most entirely in the control Of these
taxpayers If the residents of Il
taxing district, through ignorance or
indifference, permit their officers to
spend the tax money lavishly and ex-
travagantly, then there is no escape
from "a big bill for taxes.
Taxes have gone up by leaps and
bounds in the last few years. In
1916 North Dakota taxation cost
tvery man, woman and child in the
state $24.8l In 1921 it cost them
S4S.43 each. This is an increase for
every resident of the state of 95 per
cent. and since 1921 the burden has
been greatly increased. All classes
are rebelling at the load of taxes
they are compelled to carry, but the
officers in charge of the tax machin-
cry go cheerfully ahead piling on
the load. Why? Because there are
not enough thoughtful, patriotic,
Jealous citizens willing to disturb
themselves to the point of stopping
it: because the residents of town
Sims, school districts and counties
do not combined to run down the
srcndthrifts.
At the township meetings to be
held March 10 all voters, men and
women alike authorized to vote at a
general election. have 4 right to at
tend and to take part in the delibera-
tions. AS amounts required for
township purposes are passed upon
az this meeting, it is Of prime I'M
portaucc for the taxpayer not only
to attend. but. in order properly to
protect his interests. to inform him
self beforehand as to the detailed
expenditures Of the township for the
past year. Under the law state
mont Of last years expenditures
must be filed by the township trca-
surer with tho -ownship clerk and
the county auditor at~least five days
before the township meeting, and
this statement is open to public in
cpection. A fine of $4,000 is provided
in the law for failure to file this
staten cnt. but. Notwithstanding
this penalty, many township~trea-
surers. on account of the lack of in
terest on the part of the voters, fail
to file this report. A dem and by
the taxpayer to see the report will
compel the treasurer to do his duty.
The taxpayer should read the report
of last years expenditures. study 1T
to see wherein money was extrava-
gantly spent, and >where Savings can
be made, and he should then 60 to
the township meeting and insist that
expenditures be cut to the last penny
consistent with the need of the COM
hunity. And it must be borne in
mind that the man who is too care
less or indifferent to attend the
rreetng is he one who is really
responsible for high taxes.
1t is not suggested that all taxing
officers are wasteful or eXtEavagant.
many of them give valuable time and
/strict attention to the affairs OF
their districts, and such DISTRICTS are
run with the minimum of expense,
but in other district needless eX-
pense is incurred
Here are few suggestions for
watching expenditures: The pay Of
the township assessor is limited to
$500 day, and his total must NOT
exceed $50 for assessing one con-
grcssional township The clerk, ana
supervisor are limited to $3.50 a
day for time actually given by them
\w thin. the township and $500 da!
Nor time necessarily put in outside
the township; and the total paid
supervisor must not exceed $50 a
year. 1t is surprising to find how
nany townships ignore these provi-
sions Of law, and pay their super
visors and clerks sums greatly in
excess of the legal amount. Then,
the law says the supervisors mast
carefully audit the treasurer's books
before the annual meeting. This
ought to be, but too often is not,
tdone.
Supervisors cannot legally levy
taxes in excess Of the amount voted
for at the township meeting; and
they are prohibited from mourning
debts beyond the amount of the levy,
And they cannot lawfully spend
more than $3.50 for machinery, unless
the voters at the meeting give them
authority to- do so. This should be
watched.
\Under the law the county trca-
surcr is custodian Of all sinking
funds, and therefore, where town
ships have bonds outstanding, the
township treasurer ought to deliver
any such funds now in his posses
sion to the county treasurer. Too
often this has not been done, and
the money has been spent for some
other purpose, the result being that
when the bonds finally become due
there will not be sufficient sum
on hand to pay them. To put it
another way, the money raised to
meet the bonds is often spent for a
purpose which The taxpayers never
authorized, and, at later date, he
has to pay again to take care of the
bonds. This can be avoided if the