The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-01-28
Substantial Payments Have
Been Made on Nearly All
Debts in the Past Year,
TREASURER HANDLES
OVER MILLION BUCKS
Tendency Toward Tax Re-
duction-School Districts
All Show Improvement

A study of the annual report OF
Benton County reveals many things
that should be of interest to the tax
payers of the county. The publication
of this report in book form has beea
discontinued in the interest Of econ
omy. and because the lack of interest
in it on the part of county residents
did not seem to justify the expense.
The information therein contained is
of public record however and is open
to anyone who may be sufficiently in
terested to inquire. ~#~
The treasurer's cash Dec. 81, 1925
showed a balance of $166,9SG.32 which
was secured by surety bonds and 9TH
er securities amounting to $2O4.O0O.
Of this amount there was on deposit
in the Prosser State Bank Sal, ,133.47;
Yakima Valley Bank, $4,000; First
National Bank, Kennewick, $62,OOO;
Security State Bank, Richland, $15,-
600; First State Bank, White Bluffs,
SIS, 600; Cash in vault, $16,S46.S5.
The report showed interest pay
ments for the year to have been ear
ly $1,000. Of this $9,607.60 was paid
on school warrants and the balance
on irrigation and drainage warrants.
The interest rate on school warrants
has been reduced within the past
two years from per cent to 6 per
cent and on irrigation warrants
reduction of one per cent has been
made to per cent.
The outstanding warrant obligation
of the various taxing districts Of
the county totals $246,146.42 as
against S2S7, ,027.S0 a year ago Or a
reduction Of S40.SS1.3S. School war
rants outstanding show a reduction
of approximately $4,000 while irrl-
cation warrants show an increase OF
S15, 900. On this showing of the war
rant indebtedness of our school and
irrigation districts, which amount re-
mains fairly constant throughout the
wear, it will readily be seen that the
reduction in interest rate makes quite
substantial annual saving to the
county.
The taxpayers paid during the yeal
S3l .321.31 as interest on delinquent
taxes while the interest on county
deposits amounted to $3539.22. The
total receipts for the year from nus.
cellaneous sources, including the
above interest items totalled $685..
66s.9O. The receipts of the auditors
office were $53O1.70; the clerks OF.
lfice S22l2; the sheriff's office $1lS6
SO.
The county received during the
year $731.14 from the state as a re
bate of the gasoline tax on gasoline
used on road work. The county game
fund received during the year S243l
40 of which $1967.40 was for count!
hunting licenses, and 500 for trapper'
licenses. 500 was also received iron
the sale of Hungarian partridges,
: number of which were raised by tn
: game warden and sold to other coun
!, ties.
I There are outstanding delinquen
i taxes In the amount of $3S4,158, a
: against $390,000 one year ago. Thes
s delinuuencies draw interest at L
y per cent and in many cases the tax
payer has found his taxes increase
hv sixty per cent when he gets read
to pay. =,
The treasurer's office handled 81
L POP, 2,494.91 during the year 1925.
One of the encouraging condition
at this time is general tendency to
ward tax reduction and an almost VI
iversal Improvement of the conditio
of the school districts in the count.
! There has been four mill reductio
:. in the state and county levy and
: some of the school districts redu'
. tion of ten mills in the district lev
% In addition those in charge Of tt
!, raising and spending of public mol
i les seem to be in more economic
8 frame of mind which is resulting
,s wiser and more economical expend
Iy lures.
~ School bonds in the amount of $2s
q 500 were retired during the yes
~ leaving a balance outstanding
$264,000.