Arizona republican., 1913-06-05
CIVIC CENTER PROJECT
 BECOMING DEFINITE
 AS SENTIMENT FORMS

corpOrated Tn the revenue laws re- gently passed, which laws after the i modification suggested had been made, received the active support of | this organization.
 ! ''The secretary and officers of the League have had many conferences with the board of supervisors and other public officials from whom we are receiving the most hearty cO-op- eration The secretary will be in daily session with the county board 1 of equalization as soon as it con- Venes and is in frequent conference with the board of supervisors, that he may have an intimate and practi- cal knowledge of county affairs and be in a position to advise taxpayers intelligently.
 We have been asked by the board of supervisors to advise them as to the desirability of repairing the coun- ty court house. This request brought up the question of the advisability of consolidating the city and county of
 flee buildings in one modern fire proof structure centrally located. which consolidation it was felt would simplify the public business, more thoroughly insure the proper prOtec- , ton of public records and allow of certain consultations in the conduct
 Of the public business, such for in stance. as the assessment and collec- 1 ton of taxes, as would result in de- cided economy.
 1 After a number of conferences, the officials of the League, believing that
 this was a question of great impor- ! tance to the community, called i joint conference with the county, city and school authorities, which was I largely attended and as a result of
 which this meeting has been called to
 consider this very important ques-
 tion
 Now as to what the League pro-
 poses to do:
 "First-By organized effort to se-
 cure the just enforcement of the re- l gently passed revenue laws.
 ! SecOnd-Assist the public officials
 in such enforcement of the law.
 ''Third-Assist the taxpayers to remedy any injustice that may have ! been done them.
 "Fourth-Suggest methods for sim plyfying and systematizing the
 method of conducting the public business
 i ''Fifth-Suggest after careful fnves- tigation of the methods in use in other sections, such practical reforms in conducting the public business as
 will relieve the burden of taxation "Sixth-CarefuIy consider the ad- disability of some just method for the joint collection of city and coun- tty taxes by one set of officers. which plan if put into effect, should result
 in a decided saving to the taxpayers.
 "Seventh-Asist in securing the greatest possible publicity and com
 
 ''Eighth-Assist the taxing authori- : ties in devising the most just and scientific methods of making assess ments of property including an in vestigation in any cities which have put into practice effectively. what is known as the Sommers System of Scientific Assessment, and finally to
 try and make of this League such a } strictly business organization as shall } justify increased support on the part l of the the taxpayers"
 Following the statement MT. Heard ], gave a history of the negotiations
 with the supervisors and the city l council and school board resulting in = the pending report after which he 5 asked fer the fullest discussion of the 2 question.
 At first the civic center notion did not figure greatly in the remarks of $ the gentlemen who were opposed e I the report but they generally later feli in with it, though. they could not
 agree as to the location of it with reference 70 the federal buildings t and other buildings of that group s Assuming that to be part of the | civic center the rest of the civic center 2 was with respect to that group { e good deal like Sancho Panza's isle, al = a considerable distance from any e jwater.
 e The first speaker was J. C. Adam! e who recited earlier agitation of thi. 0 matter which developed the disposi e tion of the people not to sell tho e property at any price. He believed 2 that it should not be sold and while v it was unfit for school purposes s should be held in perpetuity for thu q schools and be leased for lon. = periods with ten year revaluations 1t This view was elaborated by Attor q ney General Bullard who believe, k that the school holdings of the city a is 1 well as those of the state shoul, # ultimately be made to pay the eX s penses of the schools and relieve tn Il taxpayers of that burden. He oo 0 served also that a civic center shoul n not be near the center of the town e waiter Bennett m support or th ;- report said that the county as we
 as the school district was face to fac e with a condition which demanded i'm "a mediate action. The county's need c l. more room was imimnent and woul l. have to be met by the expenditur i of a large sum of money which Woul if be wasted. The need of the school Tt was even greater. The site had be n come an improper and dangerous on r the building a fire trap and unsani l. tary. MT. Bennett didn't believe tha Ie the proposal to lease was practica IS He showed the relation between tn ld school district and the city which wer 90 SC nearly identical that the propose IT transfer meant merely the changin 1et Of the use of the property. "It