The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-10-10
COUNTY
Continued from Page One)
A Double-crossing Dynasty

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A Double-C Crossing Dynasty
Editorial comment on the double
crossing of the County Board may
be found elsewhere in this paper.
1t is noteworthy to mention now,
that they not being content with
embarrassing the people. they
are willing to double-cross the
faithful employees who stuck to
them through thick and thin and
dragged themselves in the mire
along with them during the re-
cent primary.
They have cost the taxpayers of
Dare County many thousands OF
dollars in personal time and money
protesting this outrageous apprais-
al. They spent other thousands
trying to Strengthened up the mess.
We offer it that the appearance of
the tax ledgers now, after so much
changing marking out, writing
over, constitutes the most discred-
liable records in the whole history
of Dare County. Even Deputy
Sheriff Clarence Hassell Of Manns
Harbor could have done better
job.
And yet they use one of their
employees to sign a statement, like
this: at is assumed, and in my
honest opinion that no more ex-
pense would have been incurred
than $344.62, making an extra eX-
pense of 5000.
(Signed) P. A., Tillett, Tax
Supervisor"
And on the basis of such state
ment, the Board votes the job 81
per cent complete, a grade which
would get anybody through any
college in the land.
Loose Bookkeeping
AS reported before, and as
warned by Auditor Howard, a lot
of economy has got to be practiced,
lot of things dispensed with, be-
fore getting the county on its feet.
1t looks like no reduction in taxes
soon. For years, the Board has
paid no attention to collecting tax
es; no effort has been made to
force payment on the part of those
who are Indifferent about paying.
There has been growing short
age from year to year, which has
easily been made up by just add
ing more taxes on the people. The
budget has been jumped about
$25, 900 year; money wasted
right and left, illegal contracts
made, and projects taken on that
were not authorized by law.
The rapid development of the
Dare Beaches and the ease with
which tax money was being col
lected from nonresident property
owners gave some of the brilliant
advisers in the court house the
bright idea of staying in office for
life. By shifting more burden on
our investing taxpayers, they
could gradually remove it from the
bulk of the voting population. AL
ready the investing folks had come
to be paying three-fourths of all
the taxes paid in the county,
while sharing in almost none of
the money spent for county pur-
poses. But that didn't matter,
they had no vote, and by seeking
it to 'em a double purpose could
be accomplished. One, ready mon
ey early in the year could be col
lected. Two, the voters would be
pleased at getting lower taxes, and
the gang could hope to stay in Of
flee for life.
The plan backfired. Not all the
people of Dare County want to be
unfair. 1t has been demonstrated
time after time that at least two
thirds of them wish to run a
square deal. They proved this in
the last primary. They kicked out
the whole Board and would have
kicked out more officials had can
didates politically acceptable and
apt come out against them.
Mention has been made of loose
bookkeeping. An example is
shown in the management of Man.
teo airport funds. The county pays
500 a month for the bookkeeping
in this fund. Apparently little else
is done for the auditor reported to
the Board that the county had
lost a $50 check paid to this fund,
because the check had been left
lying around for seven months be-
fore being deposited in the bank,
and by then the drawer of the