The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1959-01-09
DEPARTMENTS HAD
SPENT In RED $4,000 WHEN
NEW BOARD MET DECEMBER /
Commissioners Take Steps to Begin Collecting
Taxes From DeIinquen+s; Review Of County
Offices to Be Made With View to Eliminating
Useless Employees; Hurricane Repair AppIi-
cation for $35 500 Filed.

The continued tendency of Dare
County Departments to spend
themselves into deficits was strik-
ling revealed this week in Auditors
figures showing that total over
spending of budgets in the first
five months of the fiscal year end
ing on November 80, had amounted
to $14,711.59. Some departments
were already overspent sufficient
to run them in the red for the bal
ance of the year to the total sum
of $1,912.86.
This tendency indicates, that
without being checked, the county
spending in the next seven months
could run to a deficit as large as
that revealed in last years audit
as being in excess of $4,000.
Pursuant to campaign state
ment of Commissioner Woodrow
Edwards, the New Board on taking
office on December 2, had ar
ranged for an auditor to make
statement of the current-budget po-
sition as of November Both. This
report was completed this week,
and reviewed by the Board.
Heaviest overspending was in
welfare items, tax supervisor and
sheriff's offices.
With these figures as a guide
post, the Commissioners now have
before them the limitations of the
budget, for the remaining seven
months of the fiscal year, and to
prevent running further in the red,
it may be in order to let off some
of the un-needed county employees.
The Board passed a resolution
to begin at once on compiling a
list of all unpaid taxes, the col
lection of which has been sadly
neglected for many years, and the
committee named to proceed with
the work: David Stick, Victor
Meekins and Woodrow Edwards.
The resolution to enforce tax
collections was introduced by Da-
vid Stick seconded by Woodrow
Edwards and passed unanimously,
and is as follows:
WHEREAS at the present
time more than 100000 in de-
linquent taxes is owed Dare Coun-
ty, of which more than $35.000.0O
is for the year 1856 and earlier.
"AND WHEREAS it is the obi
cation of each property owner to
pay his proportionate share of
county taxes, and thus bear his
proportionate share of the ex-
penses of the county.
"AND WHEREAS the failure to
collect these delinquent taxes in
past years has resulted in large
deficit for Dare County.
!! "AND WHEREAS by State law
i County Commissioners are auth
orized and directed to take posses
sion of both real and personal
property of those property owners
who refuse to pay their taxes, and
to sell the same in public manner.
"NOW THEREFORE, it is re-
solved by the Dare County Board
of Commissioners that a program
be instituted as of this date to col
lect all delinquent taxes owed the
county, and in lieu of such delin-
quent tax collections to pursue all
means within the power of the
Board of Commissioners to acquire
other security from the delinquent
tax payers, including the attach
ment of personal property and the
foreclosure of real property.
at is further resolved that, in
carrying out this program, the De-
linquent Tax Collector be instruct
ed to compile a list of all delin-
quent taxpayers, together with the
amount each owes the county in de-
linquent taxes and penalties; and
that the County Attorney be in
structed to prepare letter, to be
mailed to each such delinquent
taxpayer, setting forth the amount
owed the county, requesting that
payment in full be made immedi-
ately, and informing the delin-
Iquent taxpayer that failure to
comply will result in the attach
ment of his personal property or
the foreclosure of his real proper
ty, and the attendant public sale Of
such property as is required in this
manner by Dare County,"
David Stick reported that he
had filed application for $35,500
in Federal funds for repairs to
erosion caused by Hurricane Hell
| See COUNTY, Page Eight