The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-02-14
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
COUNTY CONSOLIDATION

The legislatures of thirty-six states are cOnven-
ing in regular session this year. Probably others
will meet in special session. In most of these as
sembles important legislation will be introduces
looking toward a reduction in the cost of local
government. In some states taxpayers organlza-
tions are submitting comprehensive, if not revolu-
tionary, programs of reorganization and retrench-
ment.
In the Improvement of county government North
Carolina has already advanced beyond most states
thus there exists less need for radical changes than
in some other states. For the most part the short
comings which now exist in North Carolina are
not due to faulty laws but to weaknesses in admin
istraton The enabling legislation has already been
enacted. For instance, the way has been paved for
competent accountants and strict budgeting con-
troll the abolition of the treasurers office, the ap
pointment of a purchasing agent or county man.
ager and the joint support of certain services or
agencies by two more adjoining counties. More
over, Il state agency has been created to assist
counties and other local units in solving their fiscal
and administrative problems. The failure of GER
tain counties to measure up to the high standards
contemplated by the law or to take advantage Of
its provision call for local enterprise rather than
legislative action
the legislature should give its attention. This is
one which is being agitated in no less than thirty
two states, and which will probably be given legis-
lative attention in a number of them. Reference
is made to the problem of county consolidation
There is pretty general agreement that there are
more units of rural local government today than
are needed with modern methods of transportation
and communication. Specifically, in the South,
iS +rua in North
Carolina. The state has one hundred counties diff
fering widely in population and wealth. Many of
them lack the capacity to support the services
sential to the development of an enlightened and
cultured rural civilization. This is mainly because
there are more seats of government than there
trade centers more taxing units than there are
trade and resource areas. There are fOrty-sx
counties which do not have town of $500 popu-
lation There at least thirty counties whose
county seats are not developing into active trade
centers. The people of these counties doing
their banking and trading in the larger towns of
adjoining counties. The result is that the accu-
mulating wealth of these larger towns is taxed to
support a smaller than that from which it
is recruited The strictly rural counties thus suf-
fer high tax rate, or inferior governmental serv
ices, or both. As matter of equity county boun-
diaries should be recast to conform with the new
and larger economic areas which modern trans
portation has brought into being.
Again, it viii be generally found that it is the
poorer counties which have the most Inefficient of
fees the most lax financial practices and the high
est overhead costs in relation to volume of business
done. 1t is reasonable to believe that if each Of
these weak counties were annexed to a richer
adjoining county the administrative staff of the
larger county would have to be increased hardly
at ALL better quality of service could be extend
ed over the whole area, and the tax rate enjoyed
by the whole area would be only slightly. if any,
above that of the more favored county now. That
is, it would probably be true except for the item
of debt service If the debts of the two or more
counties entering into the consolidation were no.
in the same proportion to assessed value no injus-
tice need result, for each could remain taxing
district for debt purposes until the debt hqui
dated or equalized
The consolidation, or better the redrafting, of
and equalize the cost of local government improve
the quality of public services, and increase the
dignity of the county Offices Most important Of
all, the enlargement, in some instances, of the
local unit of government, making it coterminous
with an economic area and giving it strong trade
and culture center as its capital, might prove to
be the tonic necessary to revive and strengthen To-
cal self-government. 1t is important that local
sefgovernment be preserved but if it is to be pre-
conform to the larger social community which m,