The Union County journal. [volume] (Marysville, Ohio) 1875-1951, 1946-03-28
FERGUSON URGES
RIGHTS RETURNED
TOLOCAL UNITS
Tells Township Trustees
Recent Legislature Deprives
Them of Proper Authority

- Enactment of legislation to re-
turn to local subdivisions their
proper duties and authority, and
restore to them their share of state
tax revenue, was urged by State
Auditor Joseph T. Ferguson at the
anual banquet of the Union coun-
ty Association of Township Trust
ees and Clerks, held in the Marys-
vile high school building last week.
During his talk Mr.. Ferguson
traced the growth of present tax
laws from their origin in 1881, and
demonstrated how they have grad
ually taken authority from local
government.
During recent years, the con-
slant enactment of laws has inter
fered with the free conduct OF To-
cal officials duties, and these laws
were the first steps toward the
weakening of your township sys-
tem," he told the trustees and
clerks, and their guests. by the
enactment of laws that take away
the tax leying authority of local
subdivisions, and depriving them of
their financial independence, the
very function of local government
is destroyed"
Began In 1881
Beginning in 1881, Mr.. tergu-
son recalled, various taxation laws
have taken tax authority from the
townships and handed it over to
the state. making the local govern
ment more dependent and more
subservient to the state.
Until 1899, however, distribution
was made by the state to provide
local subdivisions with their fair
share of the money which enabled
them to function, he declared.
a I'm 1899 and running up to the
present time with one minor eX-
ception for relief purposes) all
revenue derived from these war
ious) levies was taken away from
the local subdivisions by the leg
islature and given to the general
revenue fund of the state" MIR.
Ferguson pointed out. From this
fund, appropriations or grants are
made by the Legislature to the To-
cal subdivisions"
Local Deficits Forced
Local subdivisions, as result,
have been forced to incur deficits
in operating budgets, or submit ad-
ditional tax levieS to the voters in
order to carry on, the treasurer
said, while tax revenues once be-
longing OF local districts pile up in
the state surplus.
. "Since 1899, when the state ad-
ministration began its grasping for
more and more revenue to build
up a huge surplus for political rea-
sons, we have seen the sorry spec
tacle of local governments trying
to keep their heads above water
with new, and nuisances, taxes,
he said.
If the method of distributing tax
revenue had not been changed in
1889, the surplus now in the gen
eral fund of the state would exist
to the credit of the school founda-
ton program and in the treasur-
les of the local governments ~
Concerning an extra amount re-
turned to local governments in
1915, Mr.. Ferguson declared:
Legislature Plays Politics
This ante was only raised be-
cause the governor and Legisla-
ture were of different political par
ties. The Legislature wanted to
embarras the Governor by seeing
how much of the state surplus they
could spend under his administra-
ton"
'"The only permanent relief you
can expect is through Legislation
that will return to your local sub
divisions a greater percent of the
taxes your local people pay"
, In addition to the address by Mr..
Ferguson, Joe Thomas, Hayesville,
president of the Ohio State assoc
iation of Township Trustees and
Clerks gave short talk in which
he pleaded for continued preser-
walton of the township form of
government, and other local gov
ernmental subdivisions.
The speakers were introduced by
prosecutor William l., Coleman,
who served as POSTMASTER He also
introduced the several county of
ficials present, as well as John
Wolff, Union township, and John
Rupprecht, Paris township, presi-
dent and secretary of the Associa- |
ton. The meeting was rounded out
with group singing under direction
of Donald Euverard, music instruc-
tor in the Marysville schools.
The Auxiliary of the Mack Win |
get Post 1916 of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars served the dinner