The Ocala evening star., 1915-09-11
BIG TAXES FOR
DOUBTFUL BENEFITS


J. V. Hale, Montbrook, Fla.
Dear Sir: Answering your inquiry
of recent date, shall try to give you
conditions as they exist here now, and
as they existed before Pinellas coun-
ty was created.
The first and most important thing
in creating a new county is, how much
will taxes increase? This no man
can answer accurately. We figured
that perhaps we would have small
increase in taxes from what we were
paying in Hillsborough, but we find
that taxes have increased 800 to 400
per cent. over what they were on the
same property in Hillsborough coun-
". Now, as to the benefits that the
county of Pinellas has received since
being cut off from Hillsborough, will
say that. our benefits are very few
and nothing like we had expected.
/ have resided here for twenty odd
years and am taxpayer in Pinellas
county, and feel that know what it
means to create new county. There
is absolutely no question but if you
folks create Bloxham county, you will
regret it the longest day you live, for
knowing your section of the country
as l do, know your taxes will double
each year, and before five years shall
have passed you will find the poor
man will hardly be able to own prop
erty in Bloxham county on account of
high taxes.
/ am Judging conditions up there
by our conditions down here in Pinel-
las county.
Now, as to your inquiry as to what
per cent. of the rural district is now
developed, l cannot accurately say,
but will say that only a very small
per cent. of the lands of Pinellas coun-
ty is now under cultivation, either in
farms or groves. You would be very
much surprised to go over the tax
books of Pinellas county and see the
amount of taxes the farmers and
others are paying on undeveloped
lands-lands that will not bring their
assessed valuation on the market.
/ have watched the creation of sew
eral new counties in Florida for the
past few years, and 1 find that the
class of people who advocate the crea-
tion of new counties are, as rule,
dead politicians who do not pay but
very little, if any, taxes. This class
of people cannot make a living for
themselves and are after public Off
ces or something of the kind.
Now, as to our system of hard
roads: Approximately fifty per cent
of the hard surfaced roads we have
now-and these are very ordinary
roads-were built by Hillsborough
county before the creation of Pinel-
las. Our county has just voted q
$715,000 bond issue for brick high
ways. This, with the other indebted
ness that the county has, runs up to
approximately $1,2OO,O0O. We still
have no permanent court house no1
Jail; and when we build court house
and Jail, the county will owe approx
mately $1,5O0,00O, but will not have
half of that amount in public improve
ments and benefits to the taxpayers
When Pinellas was trying to be
created, great many people thought
that if we had new county down
here, that we would receive tre-
mendous influx of settlers from al
parts of the United States, and that
within few years the entire county
would be developed. l am sorry that
these conditions did not come to pass
/ am unable to see where the crea-
ton of Pinellas county has benefit
ted the property owner in any way
whatever. We still have thousands
and thousands of acres of undeve.op.
ed land that is on the market with
out buyer.
/ understand that some of the ad-
vocates of Bloxham county are labor
ing under this same delusion, that il
Bloxham county is created, the act.
) ual cash value of property will be
doubled and trebled Immediately, anC
that settlers will flock in there from
every section of the globe. These
people will certainly be mistaken, fol
the only way that the creation of g
AC" OO0hCy CAlhdHSCS Tie Nd1udLLOn VI
property is on the tax books.
l know of great many people
throughout Pinellas county who work.
ed for and voted for the creation OF
the county, who are now sore and dis
appointed over conditions as they &C,
tually exist; and if these same peo-
pie had an opportunity, they would
work harder and vote to get back into
Hillsborough county than they did tt
get out of it.
The creation of new counties is very
much like marriage contract-it is {