Emily's family was evidently once wealthy and prosperous, as evidenced by Faulkner's description of the neighborhood in which the house is located. For whatever reason, Emily is now poor and due to her upbringing, she has no useful skills whatsoever to earn any reasonable income.
However, she comes from an era and region in which it would be improper for a lady of her social class to work. Colonel Sartoris knows she has no money for taxes so he manufactures a tale about the town actually owing money to the late Mr. Grierson, thereby cancelling her taxes. In this way, Colonel Sartoris enables her to cling to meaningless (and unfair) traditions with no consequences. She believes she is exempt from taxes because she is special. When new people are elected to run the town, they have to carry on this tradition because it would be improper to evict a quality person like Miss Emily from her home.
Judge Stevens and the aldermen allow her to get away with murder because it would be rude to confront her--a lady--about the horrific smell coming from her house. Finally, the druggist won't even stand up to her and effectively breaks the law by dispensing arsenic to her without her disclosing the intended use.
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