Town Council's Financial Statements Published

From "Selma; Her Institutions, and Her Men" by John Hardy, pub. 1879:

At the annual election on the first Monday in January 1938, John W. Lapsley, William Waddill, jr., Jeremiah Pittman, Uriah Grigsby, and James D. Monk, were elected Councilmen, who organized by electing Uriah Grigsby, Intendant; D. C. Russell, Clerk; P. A. Berry, Marshal, at one hundred dollars salary; William Waddill, Treasurer; J. A. Jones, Overseer of roads and streets; and P. a. Berry, Tax Collector, at ten percent. Compensation. But little business was transacted by the Council.

On the first Monday in January 1839, William Waddill, John W. Lapsley, James D. Monk, Jeremiah Pitman, and T. W. Walker, were elected Councilmen, and organized by electing William Waddill, Intendant; D. C. Russel, Clerk and Treasurer; and P. A. Berry, Marshal and Overseer of the roads, at a salary of two hundred dollars per year.

Taxes having been rigidly enforced, and rather increased, and scarcely anything in the way of work on the town having been done, the people became restless, and many refused to pay either license or taxes. The columns of the Free Press were resorted to, in the way of communications, to stir up the officers. The following appeared in that paper:

Mr. Editor:-- I accord our present Town Council that credit to which they are richly entitled for the steps they have taken to improve the appearance of out town, and to remove, in a great measure, the local causes of diseases; but I think they have neglected to perform ONE important duty in which every one who contributes to these improvements must feel an interest. I allude to the privacy of the receipts and expenditures of the Corporation, and concur fully in the opinion of otters that the Council should require their Clerk to publish in the Free Press, and annual or semi-annual statement of the financial operations of the town.

A TAXPAYER

The editor of the Free Press commented upon this article as follows:
In other towns it is the practice, or made the duty of the town officers, to publish form time to time ,such statements about which our correspondent complains, and we can see no motive in the officers of our town for withholding form the publicity the information desired.

The result was the following report from D. A. Boyd, Clerk and Treasurer, and from D. C. Russel, Clerk and Treasurer.
RECIEPTS AND EXPENDITURES OF THE TOWN OF SELMA.
Dr, Town of Selma in Account with D. A. Boyd, Tr’r. Cr.

1837. April 13. To amount ex- pending form tis day to 16th Nov., 1837, by order of the Board, . . . . . . . 961.31 "To balance in the Treas- ury, . . . . . . . . 13.29 _____ 947.87 Nov 16, 1837

1837. April 13. By amount received form former Board 349.00 "by amount received form Tax- ers and Violation of Or- dinances, to 16th Nov. in clusives . . . . . . 625.87 ______ 947.87 D. A. Boyd, Cl’k, & Treas’r.

Dr, Town of Selma in Account with D. C. Russel, Treas’r. Cr.

1837. Nov. 16. To amount ex- Pended by order of the Town Council of the town of Selma, form this day to the 14th May, 1838 , inclu- sive . . . . . . . . 232.31 1838. To amount account for balance Treasure . . . 120.15 ______ $352.46 May 4, 1838

1837. Nov. 16. By balance re- ceived form former Trea surer. . . . . . . . 13.29 1838. May 4. By amount re- ceived in the Treasury to this date. . . . . . . 339.17 ______ $352.46 “ By amount account for bal- ance . . . . . . . . $120.15 D.C. RKUSSEL, C.l’k & Treas’r

A report was also made by P. A. Berry, showing that in the two years’ business the town was due him $19.95.

These reports caused considerable discussion both among the tax payers and the Council, but were finally received and adopted by the Council.

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