The Treasurer’s Deep Hole
Tacoma’s city treasurer is under fire after public financial statements suggest his claimed cash deposits don't add up.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Tacoma, March 14. In February, City Treasurer Boggs reported to the city council that he had deposited $101,322.06 in the Columbia National Bank. Comptroller Eckels recently asked for a statement of the condition of the national banks, and the Columbia's own official records show it did not have the funds Treasurer Boggs claimed to have deposited. On the face of the bank's statement, Boggs could not have had one-quarter the money he reported to the city council as being subject to check. While the cashier of the bank, Mr. Peters, claims that Boggs has handled the funds fairly and that this is merely a dispute between banks, the situation has ignited accusations that the treasurer has been speculating with city funds and carrying city warrants on the books as cash.
“The list of hitherto respectables is growing larger every day.”
Public oversight of city treasury funds remains a cornerstone of municipal integrity in Seattle. The 1894 investigation into Treasurer Boggs echoes modern-day concerns regarding fiscal transparency and the potential for public officials to mismanage city cash, highlighting the enduring necessity of independent audits in local government.
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