Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1911-06-01

EDITOR LINCOLN COUNTY TINES:
When the petition for establishing the
proposed jerome Highway District was
read had neither seen nor read Senate
Bill 100, but / signed the petition, as |
believe the majority OF the Others did,
because we want good roads. Since |
have had time to study this law my con-
victions that this new road district, I'M
der the provisions OF this law, is desira
BILE, are not so strong.
In your last week $ issue you invite ex-
pressions from the taxpayers and desire
to accept the opportunity OF presenting
my doubts, in the hope that some one
with keen insight can interpret Senate
Bill 100 so that the ordinary taxpayer
can understand it. Sections , to + in
elusive provide for an election for the
proposed highway district. Ii the ma
jority favor this district, it is to be in
corporated like any other corporation, is
it not? The property owners and tax
payers included in the district will con-
sutute the members OF this corporation.
will they not? Who will be the board
OF directors OF this corporation? Articles
and provide that three members OF
this organization shall constitute the
board. How are these directors to be
elected? They are not to be elected;
they are to be appointed by man not a
resident nor taxpayer OF the district
and to serve for 4 years. At the end OF
1 years the first election of officers is held
in the district. Four weeks time is al
lowed the voters to study their new law
and vote on incorporating district, and
1 years are required before these same
voters are given an opportunity to elect
their own officers. Is that CONSTANT?
No salary whatever is provided for these
directors. Is it reasonable to suppose
that the best men on the tract are going
to serve the public for a period of years
without compensation OF any kind?
What are the powers OF this board?
Section 40 provides that they shall levy
annual property tax OF not more than 100
cents for road purposes and % cents for
bridges on every $4,000 in value OF tax
able property, but the last clause OF this
section reads as follows: 1.-THE terms OF
this proviso should not be applicable to
the first levy? A corporation with prop
erty values approximating 50, 900, 10000;
with directors appointed by man not a
member OF the corporation; and these
directors required to give no bonds, and
vet authorized to make the first tax levy
without limit Ii this is incorrect, please
specify the section that fixes the limit
and then put this in conjunction with
section 10 and interpret it in such Ian
guage that the ordinary tax payer who
is asked to vote upon it can understand.
1t has been stated repeatedly by advo-
Gates of the new highway district that
no bonded debt could be acquired except
by the vote OF the taxpayers. Sections
50 and SO authorize the district to issue
bonds to the extent OF 10 per cent of the
assessed valuation OF all taxable proper
ty in the district. In case there is no
outstanding bonded debt at the time the
board is authorized to issue these bonds
without calling for an election. 1t says
in plain English that ''the board
shall provide therefore by resolution, "
does it not? But we are told that this
applies only where there is no outstand-
ing bonded debt already against the dis
trict, and as the district is part OF Lin
coin county, and as Lincoln county is
already bonded, the district will have an
outstanding bonded debt from the start.
Is it possible for new corporation OF
district Just organized to be encountered
with bonded debt acquired previous to
its organization? The state OF Idaho,
when it was incorporated, assumed its
portion of the liability OF the outstand-
ing bonded Indebtedness of the nation,
but United States bonds were not con-
verted into state bonds, were they? II
the Jerome Highway District is organ
lied it will undoubtedly be held liable
for its share of any outstanding bonded
Indebtedness of the county, but what
section OF this law provides for the con-
version of county bonds into district
: bonds? Ii no provision is made for this
conversion then there will be no district
bonds outstanding, and if there are nc
outstanding district bonds, section So
authorizes the board to issue district
bonds ''by resolution does it not;
But we are told that other laws on the
statute books provides that where q
bonded Indebtedness is to be acquired an
election is necessary. Section Sc of this
act repeats all other laws in conflict witt
it, don't it? Well, then, we are tolc
that this section of the law is unconsti
tutional and we are safeguarded by tn,
fact that no bonded company would bu,
n bonds issued by resolution" II tn,
advocates Of this new law get any salts
faction from this kind of an arot,roan+