The herald., 1912-10-24

| Stitution of the State of Louisiana
| relative to the mourning of debt
| and issuing bonds for work of pub
| lie Improvement, and to the valida-
| tion. and refunding of bonds issued
| fo- such improvements, by munich
| pal corporations, parish and school,
drainage, sewerage and other dis
tricts (the City of New Orlean:
eXcepted), and the assessment OF
special taxes and forced contribu-
| items to pay for same.
l. Section l. Be it resolved by the Cen
eral Assembly of the State of Louisiana.
two-thirds (2-3) of all the members
Article two hundred and eighty-one
(2SD of the Constitution of the state
of Louisiana be so amended as TO read
as follows:
ARTICLE 2S1.
Paragraph l. Municipal corporations,
| parishes and school, drainage, SUBJ
drainage, road, subroad, navigation, or
tsewerage districts, City of New Orleans
Excepted. hereinafter referred to as
lthorized by a vote Of a majority, in
number and amount of the property
taxpayers. qualified to vote under the
Constitution and laws of this state,
who vote at an election held for that
purpose. after due notice of said cleo
ton has been published for thirty days
in the official journal OF the munlclpal
corporation or parish or where there is
lished therein, may, through their re-
lspective governing authorities incur
debt and issue negotiable bonds there
| for. and each year while any bonds
thus issued are outstanding, the gov
| erning authorities of such subdivisions
shall impose and collect annually, in
excess of all other taxes, tax sur
ficient to pay the interest, annually or
| semi-annually, and the principal fall
| ing due each year. or such amount as
may be required for any sinking fund
| necessary to retire said bonds at ma
turity: provided that such special taxes,
| for all purposes as above set forth
shall not in any year exceed ten mills
on the dollar of assessed valuation OF
| the property in such subdivisions.
No bonds shall be issued for any
| other purpose than that stated in the
| submission of the proposition to the
taxpayer, and published for thirty (30)
| amount than therein mentioned; nor
shall such bonds be issued for any
other purposes than for constructing,
improving and maintaining public
roads and highways, paving and i'm
| proving streets, roads and alleys, pur-
chasing and constructing systems OF
cation, lights. public parks and build
| ings, together with all necessary
equipments and furnishing bridges and
other works of public improvement, the
| title to which shall rest in the sub
division creating the debt. as the case
may be: nor shall such bonds run for
a longer period than forty (40) years
from their date or bear a greater rate
of interest than five per centum (5)
| per annum. or be sold for less than par.
| The total issue of bonds by any sub
| division for all purposes shall never
exceed ten per centum (Uo) of the as
sessed valuation of the property in
such subdivisions. Municipal councils
| are granted the authority to create
within their limits one or more sewer
Paragraph 2. Police juries in any
parish or parishes may in accordance
with law create drainage districts.
| which in addition to the powers here
inabove granted. shall have further
| power and authority to provide and
| maintain drainage systems and the
governing authorities Of such districts,
when authorized by a majority in num-
| ber and amount of the property tax
| payers of said district qualified to vote
under the Constitution and laws, who
vote at an election held for that pur-
pose. may impose and collect for a pc
| riod not exceeding forty years forced
| contributions or acreage taxes not ex-
on every acre of land in the subdivision
| where such an election is held. The
governing authority of such subdivision
when authorized as set forth. may in
cur debt and issue negotiable bonds to
represent same, secured by the taxes
above described provided that the total
| amount of debts thus incurred or bonds
| issued shall never exceed in principal
L
| be raised by said annual contributions
or acreage taxes during the period for
which the same are imposed and that
no such bonds shall be issued for any
other purpose than that for which said
contributions or acreage taxes were
voted. run for longer period than
forty years, bear a greater rate Of in
terest than hve per centum per an
mum or be sold for less than par. All
bond issues heretofore authorized by
| taxpayers in any subdivision at any
81 \
Of fraud. are hereby recognized and
validated
Paragraph 3. When the character of
any land is such that 1t must be leveed
and pumped in order to be drained
and reclaimed. the Board of Drainage
Commissioners Of the District in which
the land is situated. shall. upon the
| petition of not less than a majority
In acreage Of the property taxpayers,
resident and nonresident in the area
| TO be affected. ascertain the cost of
drainage and reclaiming said land and
incur debt against said land for an
amount sufficient to drain and reclaim
II, and issue for such debt negotiable
ponds running not longer than forty
interest at rate not exceeding five
per centum per annum payable annu-
aiiy or semi-annually, which bonds
snail not be sold for less than par: and
sald Board OF Drainage Commissioners
snail levy annually upon said land
forced contributions or acreage taxes in
an amount sufficient to maintain the
drainage of said land. to pay the in
terest. annually or semi-annually. and
the principal falling due each year, OF
such amount as may be required for
any sinking fund provided for payment
OF said bonds at maturity, provided.
that such forced contributions or acre
age taxes, for all purposes shall never
exceed Three Dollars and Fifty Cents
tS35O) per acre per 'annum
Paragraph 4. The police turies of the
various parishes throughout the State.
for the purpose of constructing high.
ways and public buildings for the par
lsh. and the governing authorities of
municipal corporations. for the purpose
OF paving or improving streets or al
leys. ard for all municipal improve
ments. after making provision for the
payment of all statutory and ordinary
charges. may fund into bonds running
for period not exceeding ten 10)
years. and bearing interest at rate NOT
exceeding five (5) per centum per an
mum. which bonds shall not be sold
Tor less than par. the avails of the
residue OF the ten (10) mill tax au-
thorized by Article 232 of the Constitu-
tion of Louisiana.
Paragraph 5. Should any Of the SUBJ
divisions Of the State neglect or fail
for any reason to impose or collect the
taxes provided for in the foregoing
sections. any person in interest may by
summary proceedings in the district
court having Jurisdiction. enforce the
imposition or collection Of such taxes.
or both. and such proceedings shall
be filed and triable free to any cost to
the litigant.
Paragraph s. Municipal corporations,
parishes and school. drainage, SUBJ
road, subroad, navigation and
sewerage districts (the City of New