Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-03-21
EXTEND THE CITY LIMITS
Continued from First Page

where we are. The legitimate tax
needs Of the industrious and actual
ly productive citizen could have been
readily and easily provided for with
a tax levy that was not burdensome
It is the pretentious things tina have
put us in the hole. Only during the
present Municipal Administration
have We learned, Yerforce, how small
our actual civic Needs are If We be-
have ourselves like rational citizens
l-cleaning each our own back alleys
and front yards-materfal and moral
and dispensing with offices and Of
ficials that the most truly desirable
residence and business town has the
least need of.
Are we then, Honorable Sir, to go
on fishing for suckers-hoping to Sc
cure a sufficient haul to enable us
to pay our public Indebtedness, and
only getting deeper into it. Or are
we going to try some other and more
Just method?
l have n plan to suggest, whlch
though the present tax laws of Colo
RADIO will not permit of its full ex-
ercise, will put back into the Golfers
of the people a sufficient portion oil
those values which they have been
|
est and sinking fund that will meet our
bonded Indebtedness.
That plan is to enlarge the taxable
area of the town of Rocky Ford and
to place the lighter assessment valua'
tions upon improvements and the
heavier valuations upon lands-tht
non -improvers of which really hinder
town growth by holding for exorbitant
prices; waiting to reap the profits
of the values given by improvers.
know that this proposition Of
enlarging the boundries of the town
has been already proposed. and re-
jected by our suburban property own
ers. But perhaps a brief campaign
of education would decidedly change
the trend of suburban opinion AT
all events as a matter of popular ed
ucation on the subject Of taxation
it would be worth trying.
| Primarily let it be shown to all
our outside population that the val
ues inhereing in their holdings are
dependent upon the prosperity and
growth of the town; that tho no OF
us they sink or swim with us, just
as truly as if they were inside our
boundaries; that the death of the
town is the depression of their pro
|
that in fact it is more SO. for the
reason that the larger numbers in
side the town with their smaller
speculative holdings can get from un
der with less loss to each than car
the few with larger interests and in
vestments on the outside; that II
short the interests are SO identica
and mutual that they can no more
afford to see us go down than we
can afford to go; that we rise ol
fall together, irrespective of our taA
boundaries.
Secondly, let it be shown to those
improvers outside the present towT
limits that they are in exactly the
same plight as improvers inside the
| town-that their industry and theil
Investment is furnishing the mail
taxable basis for paying public in
debtedness and giving value to un
improved areas; and that by getting
in and getting their assessments pu
more upon their lands and less up
on Their ever-depreciat.ng improve
ments, they will pay scarcely more
taxes themselves, but will compe
non-improvers and non-residents Il
turn into the public treasury som,
part of those values that have beer
given to- their lands by the improy
ers' industry and investment.
Lastly, the great and small i'm
provers on the outside, like thos,
upon the inside, should have it point
ed cut to them that hey are in tn,
majority, and that just as soon. a!
they get wise to the actual situa
ton as to tax-paying they can pol
/, majority vote for boundary exten
sion.
With full realization of thii
situation it would seem that there II
nothing but advantage to all the par
ties concerned in proposition Il
put all the area of suburban lant
which by its proximity to the tow
is materially made or marred il
, value by the prosperity or povert,
OF the town, within the town bound
aries; that there is no reason fol
not coming willingly end readily u
, the support of the town which hn:
gotten itself into its presen
straights by making investments tina
were intended to advance the valu,
| of land holdings quite as much /
not more than to serve the actua
needs of the people.
If this, Honorable Sir, strikes yol
as the real logic of the situation
what is the matter with getting busI
and adopting the only practicable an,
, honest course for putting Rocky Fore
on its financial feet and making i
in deed and truth n town that pay!
its debts and keeps within its in
come.
Very respectfully yours.
GEO. H. TAYLOR.
For Sale-Seed oats, white Idaho. re-