The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-10-23

councilman Scale Tells Of Six Years
Progress in Berea improvements.
Dear President Frost.

Dear President Frost:
Your letter asks some statement
as to the work Of the council for
the past few years and suggestions
Tor the future. am not sure Just
now accurate ! may be with figures.
as left the data at home, but I shall
not go far astray.
u is difficult for the uniformed
TO appreciate just how much has
been done in Berea in the short
space Of six years.
1. Fair appraisement. Six years
ago the assessed valuation of prop
rty was about s25O,O00, some OF the
smaller property was assessed for
'lmost its full value while other
larger properties were assessed for
as low as 10 per cent Of their value.
one piece recall worth at least
$1,000 was assessed at 500.
Last year the assessed valuation
OF the property was nearly 100000
and while the work of the Board of
Equalization was not perfect. there
were no glaring discrepancies. Each
piece OF property in Berea is bear
ing Just about its fair share of the
taxes.
2. Good Collections. Six years
ago the council levied a tax of Is
cents per 500 and collected with
the poll tax about $500 leaving about
one-thlrd of the tax uncollected.
Ihe board also found about the first
OF January when all tax was SUD-
posed to be accounted for that a
deputy collector had collected sf95
and gone to another city to live and
had not accounted for any of this
money and had to be threatened
with suit before settlement could
be affected.
Last year tax of IS cents was
levied due on the first day of Au-
gust, and at this date I am sure
there is not sos of last years tax
uncollected and not over 5000 Of the
present year-practically all Of
which will be collected before Jan.
T., 1914.
8. Money when needed. Six
years ago the tax was not collectible
until December 4. That made it i'm
possible TO use the money in con-
structing streets, etc, in the summer
and fall. This has been changed 50
the tax is due in August and the
money is available when il is need
ed.
4. Concrete Sidewalks. Six years
ago there was not one piece of con-
crete side walk in Berea. Today
Berea is as well provided with side
walks as any town Of its size in the
state. In fact, | think the zeal to
provide sidewalks led the councils
a little too far and some useless
walks were laid; but much more
good than harm resulted from the
whole movement. Then, too, the
councils in the early part OF the
"walk-laying" period were not in
sistent enough that the walks be
laid to grade and some ugly places
have resulted, but Berea has today
more model sidewalk than any small
town | have known.
5. Stock of Streets. Six years
ago stock could not be forced off the
streets OF Berea. Every case that
came up was defeated. Today Be
rea has ordinances by which stock
can be kept off the streets and the
offending owner fined.
6. A Municipal Building. Six
years ago il man was arrested in
Berea he had to he guarded, sent to
jail at Richmond or turned loose
most often the latter. Order was
poor. Today we have a courtroom
and good Jail and ii has had a
"toning" effect upon the morals of
the town.
7. A Marshall on the spot. Six
years ago the Marshal worked for
his fees and only worked when he
thought the money was in sight. To-
day the Marshal is paid salary and
his fees beside and is on the spot
when needed. Good order is the
result.
8. 10000 Feet Of Standard Road.
Six years ago the town of Berea
on its own account had never built
a street. Various individuals by
subscription had constructed slate
pixies thru the town and for many
years Depot Street excepted) the
only repairs on the streets were
made with slate. During the past
six years the town and college to-
gether have expended more than
$4,000 on the streets, the college
contributing about one third.
The first great task was to make