Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-02-16
ADDITIONAL ROAD TAX
Should the Town Pay County Road
Tax Exempted by Law?
Editor LEXINGTON GAZETTE:

III is not the Seleral custom Oh our
citizens to criticise the acts of the
Town Council, who, as the official
representatives of the people, are
supposed to do the best in their
judgment for the interest and we'll
fare of the entire community. That
is the trust committed to them by
the people but when they under
take without notice to the tax pay
ers of the town or give them an op-
portunity to be heard, to do so eX-
traordinary an act affecting injur-
iously the interests of the people by
scheme for imposing an additional
tax of eleven cents on the taxable
values of the town without cor
responding benefit, it is quite time
that some protest should be made.
1t has very recently been whis-
pered around, that the Town Faith
ers" have reached the conclusion
that it is the part Of wisdom and
economy for the tax payers OF the
town to have the charter so amend
ed by striking out that provision,
which obligates the town authori-
ties to keep in repair so much of the
public roads leading directly into
the town, and embraced within the
distance of one mile from the corpor-
ate limits, to turn it over to the
county, and in lieu thereof, to al
low the county to make levies on
the assessed value of the property
in the corporate limits, an addition
al tax of eleven cents on the 800. 90
to keep up and improve all the pub
lie roads in the Magisterial District
and have passed such such a reso-
luton and had bill prepared and
presented to the Legislature to car
ry into effect their determination
and dictum without regard to the
rights, interests or judgment of any
other tax payer. This will increase
our tax rate to that extent with no
purpose to reduce the present rate
of tax for streets and roads.
am informed that there are be-
tween forty and fifty miles of county
roads in this Magisterial District,
(say 45), to which, has been applied
for their improvements and keep up
by the county and district about
81. 10000 annually for the last five
years, amounting in round numbers
to 81, 10000; for any substantial or
permanent Improvement, where is
there any evidence now of expendi-
ture of so much money? Are they
practically any better today than
they were then? What different re-
suit would there be after the pay.
ment by the town of this additional
levy of eleven cents amounting Il
81, 964.59 and its expenditure un 1el
the present system of working the
county roads? When the weather
is good during the summer and fal
they don't need much working, wher
the weather is bad and the road:
intolerable they can t be worked an(
SO they go year after year with NJ
permanency. The money has beer
exhausted, and the roads no better
and they won't be until more syste
matte and better methods are adopt
ed and applied in the matter of per
mapency.
No possible reflection is intende,
on our enterprising road oversee
of Lexington District, For we a
knOw that he is man of most exec
lent sense, eminently practical an
an experienced road man, who ha
done all that could by any possibil
ty be expected with the sma
+ amount of about s35 per mile undt
t his control, but the least worke
: dirt roads will become dreadful
b out of repair in bad weather and
k repetition of the work year aft,
after year; there is no criticism {
y his good work; the point l want
y emphasize is, that it is not perm
+. nent, nor will the additional pr
t. pesed levy on the town applied
g these 40 miles of road, render the
b any more permanent.
ID The mile of road outside the &C