The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-05-13
State Examiner Commends
Benton County Officials
On Years Work "
DEMAND FOR AID ~
.- is INCREASING
Sixty-Two Per Cent Of the
County Money Goes for
Educational Purposes

The annual report of the eXamina-
ton of the affairs of Benton county
by John Rummell, state examiner,
contains many items of interest to
the taxpayers of the county and
shows in detail just how and for
what purposes the money is raised
and also shows in detail how it is
spent.
In speaking of the commissioners,
who form the legislative branch of
county government. he says, "The
board of county commissioners, with
the assistance of the elective and ap-
pointive officials, are giving to the
taxpayers of Benton county efficient
and economical county management.
"All funds, over which the commits
sioners have control, are in good fl
nancial condition. Provisions of the
Budget law have been followed and,
except for one or two very minor
allowances, each official has been
kept well within the amount allowed.
The budget as whole, for 1924 had
very fine surplus and for 1925 will
also show a surplus.
"The above statements, as well as
the remarks made as to the condi-
tion in the various offices of the
county, mean very little to the aver
age citizen taxpayer of the county.
If, however, this report could be gone
over by the taxpayer he or she would
find that high taxes are not due to
the county official but are due to the
demands made by the taxpayers
themselves; they wcu'd find that. in
order to keep taxes down as low as
they are, the officials have sidetrack-
ed mary demands made by citizens"
The report covers the period from
Jan. L, 1924 to Oct. 80, 1925 aai gives
in full the receipts for 1924. 1t shows
the total levy for that year TO have
been 1923, ,646.94. Of this amount 81
per cent or 1887 ,S76.61 was levied for
educational purposes; $121, ,207.50 or
something over 10 per cent vas lev
led for highway construction and
maintenance; $5S,756.6S, nine and a
fraction per cent was levied for gen.
eral government, state and county
and $55,S06.15, or little over per
cent. was levied for special purposes
such as incorporated towns, etc.
The amount spent for charities and
correction in 1924 amounted to ST.
070.36 while in the ten months period
of 1925 covered by the report $13,-
902.97 was spent. This is an item
which is constantly increasing as the
demands for county aid are becoming
greater each year. The matter of car
ing for the county indigents is a prob
lem that has occasioned great deal
of study and is difficult one to
handle satisfactorily.
In commenting on the operation of
the auditors office the report says
During the period covered by this
examination school warrant interest
has been cut from per cent to six
per cent. This cut in interest by the
auditor will, in few years, amount
to large saving to the taxpayers of
the county. Records and accounts are
in balance. The excellent condition in
which your examiner found the rec
ords in this office helped materially
in reducing the time required to make
the examination cf the various taxing
districts of the county"
Commenting on the operation of
the treasurer's office the report reads
as follows: Accounts are in balance
all receipts have been properly seq
regated and the balances in the var
ious banks covered by either surety
bonds or collateral security. Where
collateral security is taken as secur-
ity for deposits a margin of about
20 per cent is required.
Warrant calls have been promptly
made. This is one feature Of the OPP
Grafton of the office of county treas
urer in which every taxpayer is in
terested; reduction in the amount
paid in as taxes. The average daily
bank balance on which the county re-
ceives 2 per cent, is reduced, but this
receipt is more than offset by the
saving in warrant interest. which at
the present time is six per cent; a
net saving to the county, as whole,
of four per cent is made.