The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-11
WILL MAKE A BIG FIGHT
Property Road Tax Levied on
City Property.
is MANIFESTLY UNJUST
None of the Money Is Used on the
Streets or Alleys OF Butte-A
Strong Protest to Be Made by
the City.

The city authorities will make an
other strong effort this year. as they
did last, to have the property road tax
levied by the county on city property
eliminated as being illegal. For many
years the county commissioners have
each year levied On all property in the
city of Butte a tax of l mill for o
purposes. h money has always been
used for the improvement of the roads
outside of the city of Butte, n none
of il has ever been used for the i'm
provement of the streets INT alleys of
Butte. The city authorities claim that
this is manifestly unjust. For, in addi-
tion to paying this mill tax for the i'm
provement of the roads outside of the
city, the city property owners have to
bear the entire expense of keeping the
streets and alleys of the city in repair.
The owners of property outside the city
limits also pay a 1-mill road tax. which
is used for the improvement of roads
outside the city. but they pay nothing
towards improving Butte's streets.
The city authorities contend that IL
the city helps pay for the county roads,
the county Mould also help to pay for
the city streets or else that the city
roads tax SHOULD be entirely applied
to the Improvement of the city streets
and let the county outside the city take
care of the streets outside the city.
A year ago the mayor made a protest
against the levy and collection of this
1-mill road tax on city property, but 1t
did no good. He nov proposes to bring
injunction proceedings to stop the oun
ty from collecting this tax. He claims
il is illegal by virtue of section 1854
of the political code, which reads: The
general road tax inc the special road
tax mentioned in this chapter must not
be levied or collected from the inhabit-
ants or people of any Incorporated cities
| or towns which, by ordinance, levy such
taxes for the streets and alleys thereof
That would seem to settle the legality
of the matter, yet year afer year the
| people of Butte have had to pay this l.
mill road tax on their property besides
bearing the entire cost of the keeping OF
the streets and alleys in repair.
County Commissioner Clark claims
that the above section was repealed by
a subsequent act passed by the legisla-
ture in 1897. This says: section 2640
of the political code is hereby amended;
there must be levied and collected on all
taxable property in the county not less
than 1 mill nor more than 2 mills on the
dollar for road purposes. also a special
| road tax of So on each ~e-bod man
over the age of 81 years n under A
years, residing in each road district
The city authorities, however, contend
that while this act amends section 264O
IL does not amend or repeal section 264e
and does not pretend to do SO. They
claim that the city is exempt from thls
property road tax. IT in Butte
to about SIS, 900 a year. The mayor and
Alderman Pascoe discussed this mat
ter yesterday and concluded to bring
the matter to an issue. They are much
encouraged by the action OF the com
missioners of Deer Lodge county, as re
ported in yesterdays Standard, decid'
ing that taxpayers in Incorporated cities
are not required to pay taxes into the
road fund.
The city tax levy for 1898 has not ye'
been made, but this Will probably bt
done within two weeks.
The total tax this year, city and coun'
ty, is likely to be about rs mills. Th'
assessed valuation of the property OF
the entire county will exceed s26, 900, 900
of which nearly SIS. 900, 900 is in the city