The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-12-09
ELECTION IS TUESDAY

Some Questions. About Sewerage.
Don't be Misiedd by Absurd and
Misleading Statements.
The city council has fixed Tuesday,
December 14th, as the date for hold
ing a special election in Leon on the
question of installing a system of
waterworks. A number of persons
who are opposed to the proposition
OF waterworks have seen fit to cir
culate statements to the effect that
waterworks independent of sewerage
is of no value. This is not true, for
the reason that waterworks even in
dependent of sewerage, is of great
value for fire protection alone. The
city council has employed an engin-
eer to make survey of the city for
the purpose of waterworks, sewerage
and street grades. The election as
to waterworks is entirely independ-
mt and separate from the sewerage
question. The council has absolute
power to install sewerage without
vote of the people and have made
survey for the purpose of installing
the same. AS to waterworks, it is
necessary to have vote of the peo-
pie, hence the two propositions are
entirely separate and distinct.
1t is claimed by some that putting
in the waterWorks makes it necessary
to have sewerage, and If sewerage is
installed that the abutting property
owners will have to pay such large
amount for sewerage ahutting their
property as will make it burdensome
to the property owners, some claim
ing that the abutting property owner
would have to pay as high as $500
per foot. In the interest of the peO-
pie who have the taxes to pay it
seems fair that they should know
what the law is upon this subject.
The law says that If the city council
SO desires they may make the city of
Leon one sewerage district, levying
tax as provided by the law for sewer
age purposes and install their sewer
age at the public expense which GER
tainly would be fair to every one.
Section S31 Of the Code of Iowa
reads as follows:
Levy for Sewer Fund-When the
whole or any part of the cost of max
ing or reconstructing any sewer
shall be ordered paid from the sewer
fund of any sewer district or from
trtctthe city sewer fund, the council
may, after the completion of the
work, by ordinance or resolution,
levy at one time the whole or any
part of the cost of such sewer upon
all the taxable real property within
such sewer district or within the city,
az the case may be and determine
the whole percentage of the tax nee
essary to pay the same, and the per-
centage to be paid each year, not ex-
eeeding the maximum annual limit of
said taxes, and the number of years,
not exceeding ten, given for the ma
turity of each installment thereof;
but no part OF such cost shall be lev
led against property owned by the
city er the United States. Certif-
Gates Of such levies shall be filed
with the auditor of the county or
counties in which said sewer district
or city is located, setting forth the
amount or percentage and maturity
Of said tax. or each instaliment there
Of, with description Of the bound
aries of the particular sewer district
or sufficient description of the real
property of the sewer district or city
upon which the tax is levied, duly
certified as correct By the clerk, and
thereupon said tax shall be placed
on the tax list of the proper county or
counties"
The city of Leon being in one sew
erage district this law would make ii
equitable to every one. 1t might be
claimed by some that the city OF
Leon ought to be divided into more
than one sewerage district, but on
reflection any one would know that
the city of Leon is not large enough
for more than one sewerage district
The city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. con
sists of only one sewerage district.
Some have claimed that where g
sewer, on account of reaching an out
let, would run through the property
of citizen of Leon and that that cit.
izen whose property the sewer rar
through would have to pay for the
expense OF constructing the sewerage
through that property. AS to this
statement the attention of the tax
payers is called to Section 795 of the
Code, in which the law provides thai
where q sewer passes through the
private property of "a citizen of the
town, which sewerage is put in fol
the purpose of obtaining an outlet
the land is condemned in the same
manner as provided for the condem.
nation of land for city purposes. The
individual damaged being compensa
ted by an assessment of the entire
district for whatever damage he sus
tanned. AN assessment for sewerage
under the law is q special assessment
and being special assessment comes
under Section 792a of the Supple.
ment of the Code of Iowa, which
says: when any city or town coun.
ell or board of public works levies
any special assessment Tor any public
improvement against any lot or trac,
of land, such special assessment shall
he in proportion to the special bene.
fits conferred upon the property
thereby. and not in excess of such
benefits
In view of the law as set out in the
proceeding section quoted, the abut.
e. a.