The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-10-14
MUST FOLLOW FIXED RULE NOW
People Who Pay for the Improvement
of the Road Have a Chance to Say
on What Roads Money Raised by
Taxation Is to Be Expended.

The Wisconsin Highway Commission
has made ruling on section of the
state highway law enacted in 1913
which applies directly to Kenosha
county and will be read with interest
by the taxpayers Of the county The
section referred to reads:
"(1317m-4) z. la) If the voters
of any town shall at any regular meet
ing or legally called special meeting
vote a tax in accordance with subsec-
tion ] of this section for the improve
ment by grading, draining, and surface
ing of a portion of the system of pros
pective state highways the succeeding
year and such portion shall be continu-
Gus with portion of the system of
prospective state highways for i'm
provement of which a tax was voted
or road constructed the preceding
year, the town board of such town is
authorized, if the resolution voting the
tax SO states, to borrow sum equal
to three times the sum voted by the
electors of the town anu to deposit the
same in the county treasury. The
county highway commissioners shall
expend such sum, if possible, in the
same year it was voted and the road
constructed with such sum shall be
included in the annual report for such
year.
"(b) The town boards duties in
fling a petition under subsection 5 of
this section shall remain the same and
the petition shall be granted by the
county board under option (a) or CD
of subsection of Section 1917 Ms of
the Statutes. IF the sum allotted to the
town by the county board from the ap-
preparation for state aid for highways
shall be insufficient to pay the state IS
full one-third of the cost, the county
and town shall make up the deficit in
equal shares and the town board shall
levy, In addition to the tax voted by
the town, sum sufficient to pay the
town s share of such defcit.''
Their ruling follows:
This subsection which was enacted
by the Legislature of 1913, was design
ed and is so drawn that if town de-
sires to do two years surfacing work
in one year, it may do so provided
the electors SO determine by formal
action.
1t will be noted that construction
may not be advanced unless it involves
surfacing, inasmuch as the provisions
of this subsection do not apply to
grading work; further that work may
De advanced only when the electors
specifically so vote; and then only when
the work is continuation of surfac-
ing work legally contemplated for the
same year. Interest on the amount
borrowed must be paid by the town,
and if state aid is deficient the follow
ing year, the deficiency in state aid is
made up equally by the town and
"This subsection was excellently
designed, but has been much misunder-
stood and has led to endless trouble
because many towns have tried to have
work advanced year, when such adj
vance was plainly not in accordance
with the provisions of this section,
which is the only authority in the
statutes for doing 1916 work in 1915, or
1917 work in 1916, as the case may be.
The sole reason for enacting this sub
section was to render it possible to save
money by doing two years surfacing
work, with only one moving of the
and it should be used I
accordingly