Smyrna times., 1927-05-18
GOVERNORS FAILURE To SIGN
BILL MAY HINDER TAX CUT
MEASURE PROVIDING TRANSFER
KENT COUNTY FUNDS IS DEAD
Highway Fails to Get Money From
Sinking Fund to General Fund To
Pay Road Indebtedness Charges

Governor Robert P. Robinson failed
to sign the measure providing for the
transfer from the sinking fund to
general fund of Kent county the
money held in the sinking fund to pay
the Indebtedness charges which were
taken over by the State Highway De-
partment. Thus the measure failed
to become a law as the time limit for
the Governors approval of bills has
passed and the much needed measure
was automatically vetoed "It is
somewhat early" says the Dover In
dex, "to estimate the exact amount of
damage the failure of the Governor
to approve this measure will have up
on the new tax rate but it is hardly
thought likely now that there is even
a slim chance Of having the tax rate
reduced. Efforts are now being made
to determine whether the county has
any legal right to use this money and
if no method is found whereby the
money can be used it will have to re
main idle for at least two more years.
The money was placed in the sinking
fund to pay off the bonds coming due
this year and also the interest charg-
es on the bonded indebtedness. The
recent session Of the Legislature pass
ed law providing that these charges
should be paid by the State Highway
Department and the charges are now
being met in this manner There be
ing no further use for the money in
the sinking fund at this time, the Leg
islature passed a measure authorizing
the Levy Court to transfer the money
to the general fund which was already
being maintained on borrowed money.
The attention Of the Governor was in
vited to the bill on several occasions
before the time limit for his signature
expired. If the county is denied the
use of this money it will be necessary
for them to borrow large sum in
order to meet the running expenses Of
the county until next September
when the new tax money will become
available. Due to the requirement of
some laws, the old Levy Court was
required to make some large expendi-
lures towards the close Of last year
with the result that when the present
Levy Court went into office there was
slightly more than two thousand dol |
lars remaining in the general fund
with very little money in sight. It has
been necessary for the county to bor-
row money in order to meet the 1
expenses of the county as
well as the salaries of the county Of |
ficials. During the winter months the
Levy Court was beseiged with re-
quests for repairs to dirt roads which .
in many cases were impossible. With |
the opening Of spring, the repair Of
these roads was begun and has been
carried on to a large extent on bor-
roWed money. The work on the roads 1
will soon be halted and the remainder /
taken up in the fall SO that some of /
the conditions that existed during the
past winter will be avoided during the 1
next winter. But the expenses of the /
county will continue and the salaries
must be paid each month with the re-
suit that much more money must be
borrowed. Those familiar with coun-
ty affairs are of the opinion that by
the time the tax money is available,
the county will have borrowed sum
almost equal to what the bonded in
lebtedness charges would have
amounted to. All of these temporary
oans must be repaid out of the new
TAX money and accordingly will have
to be taken into consideration when
he tax rate is fixed. This situation,
t is believed, will prevent reduction
his year in the rate to be used for
county purposes. Had the Governor
signed the measure and permitted the
transfer of the funds, which would
nave eliminated large amount of the
the tax rate would have
been given good sized