The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-04-11

North Carolina. Before submit
ting the Plan, we consulted with
our people and we were reques-
ted and advised and urged to get
through the Plan by leading citi-
zens and taxpayers of the Coun-
ty of both political parties.
It is true that it is necessary
under this Plan to levy and col
lect enough money to meet the
reduced interest. We feel and
have felt that it is best to do this
rather than to be in default and
to be sued and to have judgments
piling up against the County. 1t
takes little more than one hall
of the taxes collected to meet the
requirements under the Plan but
we do not believe that the tax
payers of the County want to 60
back to the condition that exis-
ted before the Refunding Plan
was worked out and approved.
The Plan gives us 81 years to
work out of the bonded indebted
ness which we did not bring
about but which was in existence
when we went into office. During
those 80 years, we hope that the
County can again refinance it
necessary and or that the Coun-
ty can buy bonds, which bear a
lower rate of interest, and are a
longer time off cheaper than it
has heretofore been able to buy
bonds bearing six per cent inter-
est that were due or about to be-
come due. The Plan provides,
however, that no bonds can be
bought by the County above the
market price. Bonds must be
bought from those who offer
them at the lowest price.
We respectfully submit that we
have not wasted any public mo-
ney. It is true that we have had
to spend some money attempting
to collect amounts a Certified
Public Accountant and Referee
appointed by the Court have
found to be due to the County.
We believe this to be our legal
duty. We have attempted to col
lect back taxes, the same taxes
other citizens and taxpayers have
paid, believing in a Democracy
that it is right that each citizen
and taxpayer should pay the
same taxes and no more in pro-
portion as his neighbor pays.
We have attempted to reduce
expenses wherever we believed it
was possible to do so. We have re-
duced annual expenses at the
County Home from approximate
ly $4,5OO.O0 on an average to the
sum of approximately 100000
per year. We believe this should
be further reduced. We have even
attempted and offered to sell the
County Home if we could get a
fair and reasonable price in or
der to save the taxpayers money
and all unnecessary or avoidable
expense.
AS soon as the fiscal year ends
on June 80 we expect to have pre-
pared and published in detail an
itemnized statement of the finan-
cial affairs of the County which
we hope the citizens and taxpay-
ers will read and study. We ear
nestly desire that all of our peo-
pie inform themselves as to the
facts about their County Govern
ment and its administration. We
invite the people to come in and
talk over any matter that they do
not understand and ask questions
and get the facts and examine the
records and not to rely upon re-
ports or propaganda. If we are
spending any money belonging to
the people Of the County for
which we are not getting value
received that we can save, under
our oath of office and under our
legal duty, we will welcome adj
vice and suggestions as to how to
do so.
We believe that the people OF
the County are receiving more
public benefits than they have
ever received in the history OF
the County. The State and the
Federal Governments have ex-
pended more money in the Coun-
ty for the construction of roads,
highways, school buildings and
public improvements than the
average person can realize with.
out getting information and stu
dying the figures. The State OF
North Carolina sends our Coun-
ty approximately $17,OOO.OO each
year to pay all the operating ex-
penses of running our schools.
We do not levy or collect a SIN
gle dollar from our taxpayers for
school purposes or road purposes
We have tried to give to the peo-
pie an honest and economical