The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-10-23
Mr.. RoEss RECEIVES MORE DATA
FAvORING BOND ISSUES
r. A. BURFORD.


To the Voters of Ocala:
In my article yesterday 7 tried to
answer the argument that bonds
will increase taxes and impose
too heavy a burden of taxation upon
the tax payers. Since that time
have heard it rumored on the streets
that some people are circulating the
report that If the bond issue passes
4 taxes will increase and property will
depreciate in value. One of the col
ored transfers of the Ocala Lumber
& Supply Company came to me yes
terday and said that he owned lot
in the western part. of Ocala, and that
he had been urged to vote against the
bond issue, because, if this bond issue
carried, his property would be worth
nothing, and would be taken away
from him. / am also reliably inform
ed that a colored man by the name of
July Brown has been industriously
circulating among the colored voters
urging them to vote against bonds,
and telling them that If the bond is
sue carried that their property will
be worth practically nothing. Some
one is evidently trying to create
sentiment against bonds among the
colored property owners and voters
in the city.
In my article yesterday contended
that the proposed bond issue would
increase taxes very little, if any, but,
on the other hand, it would so stimu-
late the growth of the city and i'm
prove business conditions to such an
extent and cause the value of real es-
tate and property to advance so that
| the burden of taxation would really
seem lighter instead of heavier Ev-
cry day / am receiving letters from
the mayors of various cities confirm
ing this opinion. / beg to call your
attention to a letter from Mr.. Joe
Hinely, mayor of Live Oak, who
states frankly in his letter that for a
period of five years Live Oak stood
still and did not grow; but that, last
year they bonded the city for $SS,500
and Immediately the town began to
grow, people began to build and the
price of real estate advanced, and
business conditions improved greatly.
Could anybody ask for stronger tes-
timonial as to the great benefits to
be derived by public improvements
made possible by bond issues?
Mr.. Hineley's Letter
City of Live Oak, Fla.
Population: This year, $500.
Total assessed valuation: $2,200,-
900.
Date of each bond issue, and for
what purposes?
$4,000 in 1908, fire department.
$4,000 in 1908 for city hall.
$3O,5O0 in 1908 for purchase of wa
ter works.
$53,500 in 1913 for paving.
$35, 900 in 1913 for sanitary sewer
$500 in 1914 for additional water
works.
Total, $142,500.
Are the citizens generally satisfied
with the improvements, obtained as a
result of bond issues?
Every citizen of Live Oak is high
ly delighted with improvements from
bonding, and would not have the same
destroyed and have to do without
them for ten times the price paid.
Do you contemplate any more bond
issues for city improvements in the
near future?
i None in the immediate future, but
our people will vote bonds as i'm
provements are demanded.
Have the improvements, made as
result of bond issues, tended to i'm
prove business conditions, and slim
ulate the growth of your city? Estate
fully.)
we QdQ pSTlOu VI HFC yCoAo PAAOA
to the putting down of our sanitary
sewers and the paving of streets in
which we had no growth at all. Be-
ginning with 1918 when we started
paving and sewerage) we have had a
great deal of building, both of resi-
dence and business property. Pros
pectors from other sections of the
country have come to our town and
liked the general aspect of things,
. and have invested in our city and
county realty. and numbers of these
, investors are moving here here to