White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-09-03
Taxpayers
Would Abolish
County Agent
FARMERS AND BUSINESS MEN
MEET IN PROSSER TO DIS
CUSS LOWER TAXES


100 met in Prosser one evening last
week to discuss ways and means of
reducing taxes.
H. r. Wells, president of the Pros
ser Community Club said that he
called the meeting in response to many
demands from the farmers in the vi
entity Of the county seat.
After q few general remarks mo-
ton was made to abolish the county
agent, and E. j. Appel amended the
motion to include the county nurse.
After a short discussion, the motion
was put to vote and carried, SO to
3, with six not voting. E. O. Rice
spoke in defense of the county nurse
but when the vote was taken to abol-
ish this office it carried, SO to 20, with
three blank ballots.
AS reported in the Prosser Record
Bulletin, Harry Forsyth, county trea-
surer, whose budget shows an in
crease over last year, was called to
explain the increase and took the floor
fortified with mass of figures and
details. He pointed out that the av-
erage budget for this office for the
past ten years has been $2O,978, that
the average expense of his office was
less than under his predecessor, al
though the amount of work had been
doubled; that the salaries of the Of
flee help, (not including the treasur-
er's salary, fixed by laW) for his pre-
decessor had been an average of $14,-
213 annually while he had run the
office for an average of $12,84O.
Forsyth explained the practice he
has adopted of purchasing school war;
rants with available county money,
thus saving the school districts $1,000
annually in interest He said that he
was asking for an increase to pay
costs of publication for delinquent
lands, for set of rolls made necessary
by new state law, which divides the
payment dates of personal property
and changes the date of delinquency
Of real property taxes, for a posting
machine to replace one worn out
through nine years service and for
other items.
L. P Kelly, deputy treasurer, ex-
planned the vast amount of work in
the office due to irrigation and drain
age district business and to the VOL
urne of delinquencies. The less taxes
we receive the more work we have, he
said.
Olaf Strandwold, county school SUI
perintendent was the next man on
the grill and he got off easy as he
said he had reduced his budget some
what and hoped to save some OF that.
All three of the county commission
ers were present and stated that they
expected to do all they could to re-
duce taxes and get the most possible
out of each tax dollar. H. S. Hughes
pointed out that the farm to-market
funds coming from the state gas tax
can only be spent in constructing lat
eral highways and that all mainten
ance and other roads had to come
from district and road and bridge tax
levies.
Commissioner Ira Hawley asked the
cooperation of the taxpayers and urg-
ed that they attend the hearing IN
October, when the budget will be
passed upon.
B. j. Pacius, commissioner from the
Prosser district, outlined his experience
with road supervisors and said thaa
he had made a sharp reduction in his
budget. Referring to the Whitstran
road, he stated that he is getting
crushed rock for 90 cents yard and
that this is cheaper than the county
can crush it. "a get-together like this
is a good thing" said he.
On motion made by E. R. Wells, the
commissioners were requested to cut
all expenses possible without impairing
the efficiency of the county offices.
An effort will be made to have a
committee from all parts of the coun-
ty meet with the commissioners next
October, when the budgets are passed
upon.