The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-02-09
NEW ROAD LAW.
introduced by Representative Faust
OF This County.

Helena Herald.
The measure completely revises tn
existing road laws, which are in ;
somewhat chaotic condition, and gives
road trustees and commissioners fu!
powers in the matter of roads ant
defines clearly their duties and author
ity. The Office of road supervisor is
abolished by the bill.
Under the existing laws count,
commissioners have no power to lay
out or construct a county road, and
IN many other ways the statute as i,
stands now is unsatisfactory. The
proposed law, as included in the two
bills introduced today, is express
ed in Sc sections and is the long
est bill introduced during the present
session of the legislature.
The proposed new law recognizes
all existing road districts and makes
it the duty of boards of county COM
missioners in counties where road dis
trlcts do not exist to subdivide the
county into such districts, and fur
Their gives the board full authority
to lay and construct roads.
The law makes it the duty of mum.
cipal authorities to lay out and main
tain all roads within the incorporated
limits OF municipality, relieving the
county of all responsibility whatever
for county roads that run through
towns, for the distance in which they
lay within the city limits.
New road districts in counties al
ready thus divided may be establish
ed by the commissioners at any time
between October 1 and March /, when
one-quarter of the freeholders of the
district shall demand it, placing their
views in petition presented to the
board of county commissioners.
Boundaries Of road districts may
be changed in the same manner that
new districts are created. Several sec
tons of the bill are devoted to re-
cital of the conditions under which
changes in districts, and new districts
are to be made. 1t provides for notices
Of hearing road petitions to be held
before the commissioners. Notices
must be posted and mailed to those
Interested three weeks before the
hearing before the board.
The board of county commissioners
is given full power to either grant the
petition as made or to modify, or
make any changes in the arrangement
of the district that appears proper
Petitions asking for a joining of two
road districts must be, however, grant
ed without modification.
The election of board of trustees
is provided for to take place on the
last Saturday in March of each year,
each board to consist of three trus-
tees, who shall receive $25 per year
for their services. They will hold
office for one, two and three years
the term of one trustee expiring each
year, until 1902, when each trustee
will be elected for three years.
The bill provides the manner Of
conducting the election, and the
hours during which the polls will be
kept open.
In prescribing the duties of road
trustees the new bill provides that
one member of the board may be
designated each year, to collect the
poll tax, and he shall be paid for his
services not to exceed two per cent
of the total amount collected by him.
Persons against whom the poll tax
applies may work out the amount
due from them at the rate of 50 per
day for eight hours work. 1t is
made the duty of each road trustee at
least once annually to view every
road in his district.
For the purpose of better facilitating
the work at hand and disposing of i'm
portant questions, or deciding matters
of litigation, the board of trustees is
authorized to call a meeting of the
qualified electors of the district. In
fact. all matter that the board does
not feel competent to dispose of they
can submit to a special meeting of the
electors known as district assem-
blies."
Even in such ma,,ers as the con-
struction OF additional road, repairs or
the purchase of implements for road
building, the board IS given authority
to call special meeting, although
they have power to dispose of such
matters without consulting the cleo
tors.
The new bill provides that contrac s
shall be let to the lowest bidder, but
preference shall be given to residents
OF the district in which the improve
ments are contemplated. Speci 1
road tax may only be raised after a
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