The Ocala evening star., 1915-09-11
A FINAL WORD

To the Voters of Proposed Bloxham
County:
This is the last opportunity that
will have to address you through the
press before the election to determine
whether or not you viii create Blox-
ham county. / viii now say that ]
have endeavored to be honest and
fair with you, whether you agree with
me in my contention about this mat
ter is to be seen. / sincerely hope,
for your own good, as / see this mat
ter, that you will agree with me, and
vote this new county down. / have
shown you that, if it is created, it
will ruin old Levy, because it will
take 81, ,5S7, 900 of our taxable prop
erty, leaving us only S2,069 900 tax
able property; that it will take $24,-
600 of our taxes, leaving US only $32,-
900 to subsist upon; that it will take
45 per cent of our taxable property
and As per cent of our taxes; that it
will take 5000 of our people, leaving
US about $500; that it will necessarily
increase our valuations of taxable
property, thereby increasing our tax
es; that if you vote Bloxham county
I'm that you will have to build your
court house, your Jail, transcribe your
records at an enormous cost to you;
that you would have to pay your part
of the Indebtedness of Levy and Mar
ion counties, without any offset; that
you will not have a dollar when you
are created to pay your bills with,
and that you won't have for several
months; that this money to build this
court house, this Jail, transcribe your
records and pay your part of the in
debtedness of the two old counties
will have to come by, either direct
taxation, or a bond issue, which you
will be generations paying off.
have also shown you the fact that
the temporary county seat is named
at Williston, that it means its per-
manent location there, whether you
can out vote any other place and keep
the county seat; that the board of
county commissioners, without any
vote of the people, can pass the nee
essary resolution, make the necessary
levy of five mills for five years with
which to build the court house and
jail, then issue scrip, bearing interest,
and contract for the construction of
the court house and Jail, even before
their appointive terms of Office have
expired; that there will be no com
missioner's districts until after the
/ first board is appointed; therefore
there will not be one from each dis
trict.
have also shown you that this will
increase the valuation of all of your
property, both real and personal, on
the tax books, and increase the mill
age over what you are now paying,
and since they propose to build the
court house and Jail by hunting up
"your hidden property" place it on
the tax books, and make you pay
taxes on it, you know that your taxes
will be "way" higher than they are
now. Are you willing to stand for all
of this? If not, appeal to you to
vote against Bloxham county.
have shown you that it will take
five mill tax on every dollar of your
property, for one year, to build one
mile of brick road. Then figure how
long you will have to be taxed to build
say 100 miles of such roads. Do you
want your land covered with bonds?
They are like the shingles on roof,
when you pay one off there will be
another to take its place, and so on
without end.
! You know how hard / have fought
this thing. / say to you now that
have done so because believe it will
injure every one of US. / have not
been paid a dollar to carry on this
fight, nor have I been promised any
when this fight is over, let the result
be what it may, nor would receive
it if it were rendered me, for I have
made this fight in behalf Of the peo-
pie who have been good and kind to
me. You may not believe me but God
knows it is the truth. Again / appeal
to you to beware of your ballot" on
Sept. 14th. / have had my say-it is
up to you. Your servant,
| John R. Willis.