Daniel J. Heisey, ed., Cumberland County Government, (Carlisle: County of Cumberland, 2000). 54 pp. illustrated. Paperback, Free.
Ever wonder where local tax money goes or what it does? Although many of us certainly complain about taxes, few of us are probably aware of exactly where our percentage goes once the check is mailed. Gas needed in the Sheriff's cruiser? Grass mowing needed on the Courthouse lawn? Electric bill payment needed for the West Shore Public Library? These are Cumberland County taxes at work. Although I may appear to be advocating a county tax increase, I am actually advocating greater resident awareness of tax money through the local publication Cumberland County Government.
This pamphlet, available for free at the county courthouse and the county's public libraries, outlines each department in the county with its essential duties and connection with county residents. Thus, this pamphlet can be helpful in identifying current County responsibilities, the evolution of departments and joint-county responsibilities. For example: the County's Public Defender is mandated by the state, but financed through the County; the Finance Office was created in 1995 from the merger of the Budgeting, Purchasing, Tax Claim, and Tax Administration Departments; and the Drug and Alcohol Commission is a jointly-sponsored benefit between Cumberland and Perry Counties.
John Bloom. To Show What an Indian Can Do: Sports at Native American Boarding Schools, Sports and Culture Series, vol. 2. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000) 151 pp. Illustrated. $24.95 . Hardcover.