Sentence:  That such expansion can be obtained without a raise in taxes is due to growth of the tax digest and sound fiscal planning on the part of the board of commissioners , headed by Chairman Charles O. Emmerich who is demonstrating that the public trust he was given <WSD>was</WSD> well placed , and other county officials . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)