The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1901-07-04
THE NEW ROAD LAW
ITO Be or Net to Be, That Il The
Question,
Road Poll Tax Reduced Ons-hsif and All
RosA Taxes Aads Payable In Cash.
All Work to BE Done BY Contract and
Let to the Lowest Bidder

The ISLANDER called attention edi.
torially few weeks ago to the chic
provisions of the new optional road Law
enacted ny the legislature last winter
At the time Of the April meeting of the
county commissioners no copy of the
new law had been received here and
the commissioners had had no oppor.
tunity to become familiar with its pro.
visions. Having since done so they
are now DESTROYS OF ascertaininR
| whether the people of the county favor
the adoption of the new system, or
whether they prefer to continue the
present supervisor system Tor lack OF
system) in force. Following is q brief
summary of the new law:
1t makes all road poll and road prop
erty taxes payable in money without
any exemption whatsoever, on tho 1st
day of March in each year, or, in case
Of soj0urners, at the expiration of six
months soiourn in this state" The
amount of the road poll tax is reduced
from 81 to 81.
The county assessor is required to
make q list annually Of all persons
liable to the payment of road poll taxes
and at the same time collect from the
persons listed, and then deliver bis
lists to the county commissioners to-
gether with a statement giving the
names of all who have paid and all
who are delinquent. 1t is provided
that delinquent road poll taxes shall be
lien upon any real or personal prop
erty that the person owing the taxes
may own.
Commissioners are required to divide
their counties into not to exceed four
road districts, each of which shall be
in charge of a supervisor appointed by
the board, whose compensation shall
not exceed 81 per day for time actual
ly employed. It is made the duty
of such supervisors, "under direc-
ton of the commissioners" to "keep
the roads and bridges in as good repair
as the funds available will allow and
keep all roads open for travel at all
times"
It is provided that all road and
bridge construction and repairs shall be
let by contract ito the lowest and best
bidder" verbal contracts without call
ing for bids being authorized where the
estimated cost of the work to be done
does not exceed $50. Not to exceed so
per cent Of the value of any work done
shall be paid by the commissioners
until the entire work is completed by
the contractor and accepted.
For the purpose Of raising funds for
road work the commissioners are au-
thorized to levy tax of not more than
mills on the dollar of all taxable prop
erty i'm the road districts as defined by
them, each district having separate
fund into which the receipts from all
the distinct taxes levied shall be paid
in money and upon which warrants
shall be drawn for the payment Of all
construction and repair work done. >.
In the event Of the adoption of the
system I'm this county the commission
ers would undoubtedly divide the
county into three road districts having
the same boundaries as the present
commissioner districts. Three super
visors would be appointed who would
meeu with the commissioners at their
April session to outline the road inn
provements to be made during the
year. And the law further provides
that each supervisor shall make . de-
tailed monthly report to the commits
sioners covering the work done in his
district during the previous month.
In this way each commissioner would
be kept advised Of the condition Of all
the roads in his district and would be
able to direct the road work intelli-
gently and accomplish far better re-.
suits with the same expenditure Of
money than ia possible under the pres
ent slipshod system.
The law makes It mandatory upon
the commissioners to call q special cleo
ton for the purpose of submitting the
question to q vote Of the qualified cleo.
tors of the county il petitioned to do 80
by q number of voters equal to one
tenth of votes cast in the county "fOr
| the candidate for governor elected at
the last preceding election" AS only
| $50 votes were cast In this county for
Governor Rogers, q petition signed by
only twenty-six voters would make 1t
necessary for the county commissioners
to call y special election. II that ia
done this year it is important that 1t he
done rs soon as possible to avoid un.
necessary complications and dispose Of
the matter before 1t would be necessary
| to post notices Of road elections under
| the old law, IL there should not be q
majority vote for the new system. The
commissioners will meet III adjourned
regular session aud a. board OF equal.
izstion the rst week inAugust at which
time they will make all needful ar
ranpements for q special election If the
demand Ia made as the law REQUIRES.