Milford chronicle., 1932-10-21

my suggestion is that the road
tax on real estate be done away
with, which would result in a saw
ing to county taxpayers of approx
imately so per cent, and that the
State, through its Highway Depart
ment, assume control of all public
roads in Delaware. If this is to be
done, l think it would be well not
only to take over the roads, but also
the three county highway organiZa-
tions and make them a part of the
State Highway Departments organ
iZation.
You may properly ask, How can
the State assume one million three
hundred thousand dollar liability
without increased revenue 1t can't,
and if the plan is adopted l would
recommend that the gasoline tax be
increased one cent a gallon. This
would raise three hundred thousand
dollars annually and what more was
needed the State Highway Depart
ment would have to find out of its
present income. It would mean the
building of fewer high-priced roads,
/ UuNg ulllCSS llllCn
every one would much prefer the
taxes on their homes and farms cut
in half to any gift the Highway De-
partment can make the State in the
way of few miles more each year
of improved, high-priced roads.
"As we know, the taxation of real
property is the backbone of our
county revenue. For 1882 the tax
rate in New Castle, Kent and Sussex
counties is respectively, $1.O5, 54
| cents and 20 cents on each 500 of
assessed real estate. This will pro-
duce revenue of about $2,000,000 a
year. Don't you agree that this is
far too much money to take every
year from owners of homes and
farms for the running of county
government in this State?
please do not think that | am
leading up to the idea that | have
heard advanced for consolidating
the three counties. L do not sub
scribe to SUCH plan and as said
in my message to the last General
Assembly-'A tax the State cannot
relieve the citizens of, is that levied
by tie counties to meet the cost of
maintaining their governments. Lo-
cal government should never be
uSuTped by the State and to the
counties credit it can be said that
they can always be expected TO re-
tain their own, and having il they
will arrange to ray for it.
However, when paying FOR the
privilege of local government the
C'izens certainly don't want it 10
cost them any more than it has to.
The system in our three counties is
about what it WAS in colonial days
aud the extra cost it entails stirs
CnG's imagination I'd understand
how the public, and the public in
this case are those who own real
estate, have been content TO do
nothing about il.
There is but one direct solution
to the cost of county government in
Delaware, and that is to revise and
bring up to date the system ia each
of the counties. Picking away here
and there at this and that, trying
to make it better, is a slow imprac- ,
tical way of getting real results.
The whole machine needs to be ov-
erhauled. In New Castle county, for !
instance, with which you are more
familiar, modern business practices
would not countenance the need of
a seven member administrative
body, although under the present
system the Levy Court consists of
seven members. 1t would seem that
three Should be enough, which is all
that either of the other counties
have.
Another matter relates to the
collection of taxes in the county. AS
is now provided by law, a most un-
business-like procedure is followed
whereby the district tax collector
land there are ten of them, l be-
lieve) mails out tax bills to proper
ty owners in his district and upon
receipt of payment make remittance
to the Receiver of Taxes and COun- ,
ty Treasurer. Surely in a county the
size of this it would be more desir-
able and less expensive to have the
County Treasurer responsible for :
the collection of property taxes ra-
Their than ten different men.
This serves as an excellent il I
lustration of decentraliZed control :
that has been passed down by our 9
iorebearers without being changed. !
Haven't we had it Ion genough? {
Something else needed in each of I
he counties is an adequate budget 7
system for planning and controlling
he county's financial operations, (
and 1 believe that much money 7
could be saved annually by the 4
adoption of such a system. a
"Of even more importance is the t
iced in all the counties for compre- h
lensive methods of accounting and !;
'eporting, to replace the existing a
ystems. Whatever the new system d
Idopted, it ought to be the same in O
ZACH of the counties in order that
ecords, cost sheets and accounts
would be on comparable basis. s
"This particular subject is so i'm F
Iortant that the State could well af-
ord to supervise and paw the cost u
f the work if the counties would U
gree to have it done. n
81 leave these several suggestions a
Or your consideration"