Evening star., 1946-10-27
Charter Group
Charges Budget
kDeceptive
| County's Finances
| Defended by Noyes;
| Bond Limit Cited

~ eAA~ @ASaAeGSAAASAy SSOAtoy SSAAko-
cratic administration has bought
the county to the brink Of finan-
cial disrepute," the County Charter
sCommittee charged yesterday.
The committee also accused coun-
,ty officials of practicing outright
deception" in preparing the budget.
| AS a result of the administra-
ition's actions, the committee said,
the county has acquired the repu-
!tation of questionable credit
trlSk. =" ,rs
/ Alfred D. Noyes, chairman of the
Ecounty Democratic Congress, denied
1.-THE charges and described the char
ter organization as "a combination
sof pressure groups who want to
spend money, which means more
taxes"
Wide Borrowing Charged.
Declaring the county is not paying
off any indebtedness due this year.
the Charter Committee said the
administration not only is borrow
ing 100000 to meet maturing
bonds and notes, but is borrowing
another 100000 for new projects.
ITO pay the total of bonds, notes
and interest falling due this year"
the committee said, would take So
to go cents out of every tax, dollar.
Since the county cannot be run
on the remaining 40 cents, the ma
chine now in power merely borrows
again and steadfastly refuses to
eliminate the waste which causes
high costs to the taxpayer. In one
day, the outstanding county debt
was increased more than % per
cent"
Annual Deficit Seen.
In addition, according to the COM
mittee, deficit of approximately
$250000 is piled up annually for
police, road repairs. engineering,
courthouse salaries and other ex-
penses. At the end of the year,
the committee asserted, emergency
notes and bonds are issued to cover
these deficits.
Turning to the budget, the COM
mittee accused the county admin
istration of Juggling the figures to
make the budget appear balanced
in this year of approaching elec-
tions'
AS an example, the committee
pointed to the reduction from $75,-
600 to $4,000 in the appropriation
for school repairs and maintenance
Bonds were then issued for $751;
900 for school alterations, the COM
mittee said, much of which is
simply repairs and maintenance in
disguise"
Liquor Profits Cited.
The committee also claimed liquor
profits totaling s250,000 were writ
ten into the budget as income and
S250,000 borrowed on working CAPT.
tai for the liquor dispensaries.
"The police appropriation was cut
without any corresponding cut in
the services of the police force it
SELF" the committee asserted, re
sulting in a deficit that will have
to be made up by last-minute bor-
rowing.
these tricks represent outright
deception and end in more deficit
financing, leading to more costly
debt charges for the taxpayer to
carry"
In his statement. Mr.. Noyes said
the disposition of Liquor Board
profits is similar to the procedure
in any large corporation.
IL l..
the dispensary system as working
capital represents the goods on hand
of type that is Immediately SAL
able and is in every sense of the
word working capital" He added
the 100000 in liquor profits is only
part of the net dependable" in
come received from the Liquor
Board for the current year.
Commissioners Defended.
Mr.. Noyes also contended the
county commissioners were justified
in reducing the road maintenance
fund and police operating costs. He
said this action was taken because
OF the new assessments placed on
the tax books during the current
fiscal year The revenue from these
new assessments was not included
in the total budget appropriation,
he explained
From July through October
30" Mr.. Noyes declared, SO, 500, 900
worth of new construction has been
placed on the tax rolls which will
yield an additional $4,000 in income
per year.
"A total of $12,o0O,O0O worth of
additional new building permits
have been taken out. Nearly all of
this property will get on the tax
books by April and will yield an
additional $1so,0oo in annual reve-
nue. from the basic tax rate (ofI
$780,"
He said when the county COM
missioners increased the bonded
Indebtedness of the county last Sep
tember, they raised the total in
debtedness to TIT per cent of the
assessed value of the county.
Charter Proposal Recalled.
He pointed out the proposed char
ter defeated two years ago carried
bond limit of per cent, while the
Brookings Institution report on the
county government issued in 1941
listed 10 per cent as safe limit. i
we see no reason for increasing
the county tax rate" Mr.. Noyes as
serted, "or saddling the present
generation of taxpayers with pay
ing off undue amounts of county
bonds and so increase the tax rate. |
because a combination of pressure |
groups want to take over the gov
ernment of the county"
EinId Aoee - l..