The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1959-05-29
BUDGET
Continued from Page one)
HIGH Welfare Demands

High Welfare Demands
While cutting down by some
So, 900 the amount asked for Old
Age Assistance, Aid to Dependent
Children, ETC., the Welfare Board
is asking about $4,000 more to
run the office, to pay salary raises,
and add more workers. This office,
which is budgeted at $40, 236.63
for the current year, would spend
for administration next year
around $26, 900. Two years ago, the
office was budgeted at $17,S90.
Some increase is being sought
by the Health Department, which
is operated jointly with Currituck
County, and partially shared with
Hyde County. The sheriff's office
has operated with four outside
deputies, and one inside deputy,
and the outside deputies for the
most part have merely drawn sal
aries, stated figure ranging from
500 to $3.50 a month and travel
for full time, and SIPS a month
for part time. None of the four
outside men have aided in collect
ing taxes; at least one of them is
ten years delinquent himself. AS
evidence of the lack of activity in
this force, last months report
showed that one of them, receiving
500 a month, checked up nothing
more than having ridden four
nights up the beach with the high
way patrolman, which is expensive
service at the rate of $25 a night.
This however, is only one of a
multitude of things that constitute
needless drains on the taxpayers,
/ helping to account for the county's
staggering deficit.
Accurate Figures Uncertain
It has been difficult during the
past several months to get an ac-
curate figure as to just what the
county owes. For instance, it was
thought the county had surplus
! mosquito control fund of some 81
200, but when it came time to
budget it, it developed this fund
had not been carried in regular
channels, had been turned into the
general fund before the new
board got into office) and disburs.
ed for general purposes, some OF
them never having been budgeted.
Within the past few days, it has
developed the county has failed to
refund overpayments of 1888
taxes in the amount of $2,771.O2
which should have been refunded
last October. This along with other
things, has revealed recently many
thousands of dollars which the Of
ficials did not anticipate the coun-
ty owed, and which had not been
evident to them under the anti
ouated system of county reports
that are used.
Since the new board came into
office, numerous bills have turned
up, sent in by local merchants Tor
groceries authorized last year, and
furnished to friends of officials.
Also heavy hospital bills which
! have added thousands to the deh-
cit in welfare funds.
/ Reasons for Being in the Red
When the present Board Oh
! Commissioners took over in De-
cember 1858, there had been four
months of spending under a bud
get set up by the outgoing Board;
The outgoing Board over-estimated
the total income that would be
provided by the 80 cent tax rate
Some other sources OF revenue
other than ad valorem taxes nave
fallen short of estimates.
A rough estimate shows that
expenses of operating the county
under the current operating bud
get are running in the red at the
rate of more than $4,000 a month.
On top of all this, nothing was set
up to take care of an existing $685.
| 600 deficit as shown by the auolt
i for the period ending June 3D.
1858.
Further contributing factors TO
the deficit is that great many
releases in valuations were MADE
following the adoption OF the bud
get, which will add to the decrease
| in revenue anticipated from taxes
this year. Greatest loss of all was
upwards of nine million dollars In
valuations wiped from the tax
books during the two weeks OF
campaigning during the May 1895
primary, by the Board of Commits
sioners who were vainly attempt
i ing to be reelected.
i In the final summing up OF the
results of the costly revaluatlor
for which the outgoing Board Of
Commissioners paid $4,000, we
find a large amount of tax income
lost to the county through reduc'