Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-06-07
SURVEYOR IS ABOLISHED
Another New Road Law Provides
For Better Roads in
Iowa.
COUNTY ENGINEER APPOINTED.
Board of Supervisors Will Engage
Competent Man to Supervise
County Road Work.

Under the terms of the new road
law passed by the recent General
Assembly, the Office of County Sur
veyor is abolished The present in
cumbents of this Office in the various
counties of the state will serve out
their present terms, meaning the
years 1911 and 1912. After that
no more will be elected.
OF course somebody must take the
place of the surveyor and do the
work that has heretofore been done
by him. The new statute provides
as follows for filling his place:
1.-The Board Of Supervisors shall
have power to employ competent
person who shall perform the duties
now belonging to the Office of the
county surveyor, and who may be
employed by them for the purpose
Of making general specifications for
the grading, repairing and building
of roads, bridges and culverts, and
to perform such other duties as the
board may determine" We may
say in passing that while the bill
providing that the board must en-
ploy competent county engineer"
for supervision Of road building
was not passed, the new act empow-
ers the boards to make just this
change in the system if they think
it advisable.
The new law empowers the Board
of Supervisors to levy special road
tax of two mills, over and above
what they have had power to levy
before. This section reads as fol-
lows:
For the grading and building Of
roads the board may levy not more
than two mills on the dollar, to be
known as the county road building
fund. but such tax shall not be lew
ssd '.pon ary property assessable
Z Al, afss1 x x Y - =. gH@<S. - 49,
corporated town and none of such
road tax shall be used in the grad
ing or building of any roads within
the limit, of such cities or incorpor-
ated towns"
This additional levy places in the
hands of the Board of Supervisors,
to be expended under their direct
supervision, the following road
money: first the one mill tax which
they have had in the past; second.
the one mill road drainage levy,
which they have had for the past
two years; third, the new two mills
road levy; this makes total Of four
mills under direct control of the
Board of Supervisors for road pur-
poses.
AS to the sums available for ex-
penditure by the township trustees.
no change of Importance has been
made, but the section regulating
such levy and expenditure has been
rewritten and now reads as follows:
"The township trustees Of each
township shall meet on the first
Monday in April. or as soon there
after as the assessment book is re-
ceived by the township clerk and on
the first Monday in November in
each year. At the February meet
ing said trustees shall select SUI
perintendent Of dragging and em-
ploy road superintendent. At the
April meeting said trustees shall de-
termine:
1. The rate Of property tax to be
levied for the succeeding year for
the repair of the roads, culverts and
bridges and for guide boards. plows,
scrapers. road drags. tools and ma
chinery adapted to the repair Of the
roads, culverts and bridges and for
the destruction of noxious weeds in
public highways and other public
places, and for the payment of any
Indebtedness previously incurred for
road purposes, and levy the same,
which shall not be more than four
mills on the dollar on the amount
Of the township assessment for that
year, which when collected, shall be
expended under the direction and
order Of the township trustees; and
they may determine and certify to
the Board of Supervisors, a tax on
the assessed property in the town
ship Of not exceeding Ave mills on
a dollar of such assessment, which
shall be applied, or so much thereof
as may be necessary. in paying
drainage taxes heretofore levied and
still unpaid for the payment of any
drainage assessments that may be
hereafter levied against the town
ship on account Of benefits to high
Continued on last page.)