The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-12-21
SEWERAGE and
OTHER BONDS
HOW THEY CAN BE PROVIDED
FOR WITHOUT INCREASED
TAXATION.

v \. A. higgins. who has made
..,,y of our municipal finance:
,,t ,hor conditions, states that the
,...ns,ed bond issue for sewerage
o.b,r municipal improvements
= sa,ed on Saturday, December
Mn entail no additical hard
au the taxpayer, and he sets
m .ry lucidly how the bonds
~ carried without increasing
i. .axes. Mr.. Higgins says:
,..e no reason why the taxpayers
seland should be required any
\. w. TO pay the interest on the
.s...tle light and water works
bn1s. The plant has been put in
lass condition and ought to be
ill. ;o take care of the interest on
4, avn bonds. $4,000 CT these
gl, bear 6 per cent. interest and
4 uu cf them bear ) per cent. in
rrre,t or a total annual interest of
Ss5.o Surely this plant with its
s2.eLl.d equipment and the patron
a.. +, now has and the much more
TIM, j, will have in the near future,
ca, pay the interest and still make
enough money for its up keep and
ex,eld its equipment. | am in ia
,or Of eliminating the interest on
;Aese bonds from our tax books.
see no reason why the proposed
weragc bonds of $4,000 should
add one penny of taxes to our tax
roll The interest at per cent.
would be $3.50. There is. or
ought TO be- more than $4,000 COL
ec,ed from the bucket tax, as now
N operation A very large number
Of cess pools are in operation that
pay 10 tax When these are all
conn-c ted up with the sewerage
system. making wonderful improve
m.nl in the service and adding but
I'LL i any. to the cost above what
present. the revenues should
D. s.ii,ent to pay the interest on
IA average bonds and not add any
'asas 10 our city taxes.
am in favor of making the light
ana water plant pay its own way,
sg3 il ean be done.
I.us we will have the interest
>l22.ooo of our bonds provided
'ar This will leave the interest on
5" 'ro street and improvement
5olGs 20 be paid by taxation; $4,000
q these bonds now bear 6 per cent.
sgoeA OF these bonds will bear
p ent. interest. making total Of
N.-@Q year interest. An assess
Me.' Of : mills will more than pay
ms interest. The assessment for
h' year is mills, so We may re-
H'ise eur taxation one mill along
'a!N LIE and at the same time take
ar of the sl50,OOO bonds that it is
iseposed 10 be voted.
"" now have $4,000 in the Sink
fs End and the taxes this year
VA add more than $1,000 to that
'iid Our first $1,000 bond is due
"a H.. year 1915. We can pay only
S''f' a year on these bonds for
-A' r.ars or until 1911. After
-a' "" san pay only $4,000 a year
II Atse bonds until the year 1885.
'aen all the per cent. bonds will
d. b"en paid of. We now have
- aadS enough to take care of all
~ 'ends falling due until the year
Then a yearly assessment of
W mills will take care of all that
80 Il" until the year 1885, SO We
--~. bother no more about a sinking
In fact. it was never intended
Aere should be a sinking fund
- fsd only from year to year as
Jends fell due
~ -er Item can be dropped from
IA books next year and that is
mills street tax. We received
from the county road fund
lar. We should receive more
i3uble that amount this year
ely $4,000 ought to keep our
In repair after We have put
on a large number of our
We can reduce our millage
- mills to 16 mills and carry
:. -'"poo new bonds at the same
\ little later We will drop
> mills that is now assessed
pay of the floating debt
"e need the improvements. Let
-afe them. A little money and a
'.'e push from each of US and
Lske.and grows.