The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-04-11
Open Forum
COLUMN
FOR THE VOICE OF THE
PEOPLE
TO THE CITIZENS AND TAX
PAYERS OF ASHE COUNTY:
PEOPLE

We hope that every citizen and
taxpayer who is interested in his
County Government will read
this statement which we desire to
make in the nature of an account
ing of our stewardship as County
Officials. We believe that County
OFFICIALS should take the people
into their confidence and give
them all possible information
about their County affairs and be
ready at all times to receive their
advice and suggestions. L
It is possible that the people of
the County do not thoroughly I'M
derstand the reasons for the in
crease in the tax rate. We feel
confident that the people know
that we do not desire to levy or
collect single dollar more in
taxes than is necessary to run the
County Government, to obey the
law, and to promote the interest
and welfare of the County. It has
been necessary to raise the tax
rate in order to realize enough
money to meet what it is our du-
ty as County Commissioners to
meet. There is no legal escape
from the payment of the expen-
ses of Courts, the Jail, elections,
tax listing and many other items.
However, we desire to say to the
people of the County that the
present levy, if collected one hun
dred per cent, would only raise
approximately 100000. This is
only $5,O00.00 more than the $685.
100000 previous levies were pre-
sumed to raise when taxes were
the lowest. It is only fraction
of the amount of taxes levied and
collected when the County was
levying approximately $250,000.-
600.
We believe that taxes are the
lowest in Ashe County of any
County in this section of North
Carolina, and we do not know of
any County where the amount
the people pay in proportion to
the population is as small as it
is in Ashe County. Let us COM
pare what the taxpayers of Ashe
County pay with our neighbour
ing Counties of Allegheny and
Watauga. We do not charge that
the Officials of those Counties
are trying to over-tax their peo-
pie. Allegheny County, about one
third of the area and having
about one third of the population
of Ashe County and having no
bonded indebtedness, levies and
collects over 100000 per year.
Watauga County is about two
thirds of the size and has about
two thirds as much population as
Ashe County, and about $780,
100000 per year in taxes is levied
in Watauga County. To compare
these figures with 100000 le-
Wed in Ashe County shows that
the taxpayer who lives in Ashe
County is paying much less in
proportion to what he owns than
if he were living in Allegheny or
Watauoa Co11ntv
It takes just so much money to
run the County Government in
decency and in order and to do
the things that we must do as a
County. The causes of the in
crease in the tax rate are as fol-
lows:
/. Formerly, notes, accounts,
solvent credits, money and bank
deposits were listed in the Coun-
ty and the people paid taxes at
the assessed rate of the County on
these items. Now the State has
taken over for taxation all these
items at much lower rate. Those
who pay taxes on these items re-
ceive a material saving; but the
people will understand that the
County lost over one half million
dollars in valuation and in tax
able property and over 100000
in Revenue by this change.
2. The County lost considerable
valuation when the land along
the National Parkway which has
been conveyed to the United Stat
es Government was removed
from the tax books.
Of course loss in valuation
must be made up by an increase
in the rate or the County will run
a deficit for the amount lost.
Have we added any expenses or
burdens to our taxpayers that
they did not have before? Let us
see.
3. We have added a Farm De-
partment which the people of the |
County wanted and we believe
still want. Interested citizens
paid the expenses of this Depart
ment at first out of their own |
pockets. The people asked us to
establish a Farm Department and |