The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-05-23
HOW BIG A HOLE In COUNTY
GENERAL FUND is DARE co.
BOARD TRYING TO FILL UP
Bold Attempt TO Shift Still Larger Tax Burden TO
Property Owners in Coastal Area Raises Seri-
Gus Questions OF Citizens In Face of Ten Year
Refusal OF Commissioners to Repect Law De-
mandine Prompt Audit of Books.

How big a hole in the county
general fund exists today? Two
years ago, when the last audit was
made, and which by the way, was
not published as law requires,
showed the county running red in
the general fund by $4,000.
People are demanding an audit,
and a complete audit at that. A
year or two ago they went before
the grand jury demanding an aud
it. They were tired of continuous
raises in taxes, waste of money,
and small return for what was
spent. The Grand Jury, which
comes from the venire selected by
the County Commissioners did ask
a few questions: they were told
audits were being made promptly.
They took the word of the officials,
and reported accordingly.
But the audits were not made
promptly, and the last audit pur-
ports only to show the county's
condition as of two years ago. And
at that time it showed the General
county funds in the hole $54, 900.
The people of Dare County want
to know what caused that hole.
They want to know what the mon
ey went for, if it was ever there
in the first place. People are not
accusing anyone of stealing when
they want to know where their
money goes. They merely want to
know what it was spent for, and
if the expenditure is worth while.
But there are some officials who
think they own the offices they
hold. They take the attitude that
a demand for an accounting is a
personal insult. Some of them
have had their way so long that
they resent being checked up in
their methods.
On March 28th, we published an
open letter challenging the county
Board to present a statement from
an auditor showing that the def
cit in the General fund was not
then nearer the sum of 100000
than $4,000. We challenged them
to tell the people why they have
for over eight years, disregarded
the law which requires them to
make public regular audits of the
county funds. We do not see why
an honest man, unless he is an ig-
norant and incompetent man, will
refuse to regard the law in this
respect.
We also challenged the Board
to tell the people why they con-
tinue to illegally spend public
money for projects not sanctioned
by law. They gave no reply. We
have also tried long time to get
them to tell the public why they
spent upwards of 100000 of the
peoples money on a Jail project
which the citizens had already
voted down two to one. 1t was not
until last week, that any infor-
nation in this respect came out of
their office. They finally admit
they spent $82,8O6. They did not,
of course, report the waste of
$4,000 spent in holding an cleo
ton, which they disregarded COM
pleteiy. They did not list anything
as having been spent for legal
fees, nor for other incidentals
which may have been funnelled
through other governmental de-
partments.
1t has been said they didn't
think anyone in Dare County was
competent to value the property
in the county. So they went to
New Jersey to get it done, at a
cost of $4,000. We challenged
them to give the reasons for those
See BIG HOLE, Page Twelve