The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-11-11
BASED ON COUNTY VALUATION
Letter from State Commission Explains
New Laws and Declares That No
Further Funds Will Be Available
From State for Work Next Year.

Kenosha is going to spend $66,405.90
'or the building of permanent high
ways in 1916, but of this large amount
out $14 ,637 90 is to come from the state
iund for the aid of road building.
jounty Clerk Jones this morning re-
eived letter from the state commits
ion showing the amount to be appro-
rated to Kenosha county. The let
err states that the amount given to
[enosha county is based entirely on
he valuation Of the property in the
ounty. This county was found to be
ntitled to 1864 per cent of the total
f $885,000 appropriated by the state
legislature for road work in 1916.
The state will pay to the county just
61a per cent Of the amount that would
ave been demanded under the old law.
he towns in the county have voted
25,844.00 for road work next year and
is expected that the county board
I'LL appropriate similar amount at
is meeting next month. The members
f the county board had expected to
eceive an equal amount from the
tate. The commission states that
here will be no other monies to divide
mong the counties in 1916 so that the
resent statement of the account is
NAL
In connection with the apportion-
nent the commission has sent long
etter to the clerk explaining the new
DAD laws. This letter is in part
Is follows:
Among the various changes in the
state aid for highways law made by
5he legislature of 1915 was one very
Important change in the matter of sur
ueys and plans for state highway con-
struction. AS heretofore, all surveys
and plans for roads and bridges must
be approved by the state highway com
mission before work is undertaken.
Under the former law the state high
way commission was allowed to make
surveys either free of cost to the coun-
ties; or, as at one time contemplated,
at part cost to the counties. AS a mat
ter Of fact, the state highway commits
son believed at one time that it's adj
ministrative funds would not allow it
to make surveys without cost to the
counties, and arrangements were made
for having the counties pay portion
of the cost. 1T was found, however,
that the appropriation for the commits
sion was sufficient to enable it to make
The surveys and plans and present them
to the counties without making
charge therefor; SO that nothing was
ever collected from the counties under
che old law for surveys and plans
furnished, though it was originally in
tended to do so and most of the coun-
ties did make arrangements to pay
their share of the cost.
Therefore, any action by your county
board in providing funds to pay to the
state bills for surveys may be rescind-
ed as far as surveys made by the Com
mission up to August Is, 1915, are
concerned, plans for all roads survey
ed previous to that time having been
furnished by the commission free of
cost.
The new law, however, changes mat
ters quite considerably, in that the
counties are required to make or have
made surveys and plans for all road
work (see Subsection ] Of Section
1917 ~ The state highway commits
sion is allowed to make these SURVEYS
and charge them at cost to each county
in case the county board or county
state road and bridge committee re
quests it to do so; and with this
change in mind, cut was made in the
appropriation for the state highway
department. SO that it is impossible to
make these surveys for the counties
except on condition that the actual
cost of the work be betrayed by the
counties.
Immediately upon the passage of the
new law, the matter was taken up with
the committee acting as the county
state road and bridge committee in
each county, and we were authorized
by many of these committees to make
surveys in certain counties this fall so
that plans might be ready for next
years work. If your county was one
IF these counties, bills for surveys and
slams made in accordance with this ar
angement with your committee will
,e submitted when the plans are com
leted. At this November county
oard meeting, it will be necessary for
lie county board to pass resolution
Their requesting that the state high
Nv commission make future SURVEYS
the county until January l, 1917, or
at the county board should deter
ne that some local engineer or the
inty highway commissioner should
Ike these surveys and plans. If the
lnty board does not take action in